AGRICULTURAL workplace deaths have seen a steep increase over the past year, Unite warned today. 

There were a total of 20 deaths in the sector between April 2019 and April 2020, but, according to the Health & Safety Executive’s (HSE) fatality list for 2020-2021, by the third week of February there had already been 33 deaths: an increase of 61 per cent.

There are likely to have been further fatalities before the end of the reporting year on April 1, Unite said.