Agricultural workers in Japan are 10 times more likely to die in work-related accidents due to poor safety awareness, a study shows.

Data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries revealed that 238 individuals engaged in agricultural work were killed in occupational mishaps in 2022.

Although total fatalities marked a downward trend, the figure of 11.1 deaths per 100,000 workers in 2022 was still up from 9.1 for 2013.

Ministry officials have struggled for years to stem the steady stream of farming accidents across Japan.

The risk of fatalities in agriculture is as much as 10 times higher than the average across all industries.

Setting 2026 as the goal for halving the number of accident-related fatalities in agriculture from the 2022 figure, the ministry called for a thorough implementation of safety measures.

Given the aging workforce in farming, it’s not surprising there are so many calamities, according to one expert.

DANGEROUS WORK

On Sept. 5, a 69-year-old farmer in Tsubetsu, Hokkaido, was fatally crushed in his harvester while sorting potatoes. The victim became trapped while dismounting to stop the engine of a tractor. It was unclear if the harvester was connected to the tractor or travelling side by side.

Another accident in Tsubetsu on Aug. 26 resulted in a farm worker breaking her left leg when she became trapped in a harvester up to her thigh while attempting to retrieve a potato stuck in the machine. Another farm worker apparently moved the vehicle without noticing the woman in distress.

As of Aug. 20, five fatalities involving agricultural vehicles occurred in the central Japan prefecture of Nagano, according to data from the JA Nagano Chuoukai agricultural cooperative association.

One accident involved an 86-year-old farmer in Saku in the prefecture who was found beneath a tractor in a forest near his field in Tomi on Aug. 19. His family discovered the tractor trapped in a thicket and reported the incident to police. The man, who had been working alone, was later confirmed dead.

WORDS OF CAUTION

JA Nagano Chuoukai issues a radio alert to farmers each May and September to remind them to stay safe while working. Specialized fliers and videos are also distributed to agricultural cooperatives in the prefecture.

“Accidents involving elderly individuals remain a constant source of concern,” said a JA Nagano Chuoukai official.

Of 1.2 million agricultural workers in 2022, those aged 65 or older accounted for 70 percent of the total. This age group accounted for a staggering 86 percent of all accidental deaths that year. More than half of all fatal farming accidents are linked to machinery.

Takahiro Tamura, an agronomics professor at Utsunomiya University’s School of Agriculture, noted that farms and fields in Japan are typically operated by family businesses.

His research showed that individual farmers account for 96 percent of these entities.

Tamura said those farmers tend to be less aware than corporate operators that accidents represent the “gravest cost” to their operations.

“Labor and safety management are inadequate in many cases, too,” Tamura said.

He also pointed out that family-owned farms often fail to take preventive steps following an accident, such as when people get trapped in machinery or when accidents occur out of their line of sight. These types of incidents occur year in and year out.

“Farmers need a comprehensive system that shares details about accidents and lessons for operators,” he said.

In the meantime, the farm ministry is stepping up efforts to nurture personnel to provide safety guidance for farmers in local areas. But apparently only half of newly qualified instructors bother to offer lectures in rural regions after finishing their dedicated training.

‘FARMERS CAN GET NEGLIGENT’

Citing technological advances in farming machinery such as automated speed control, the farm ministry is moving to tighten safety standards.

Its proposed regulations will require agricultural vehicles to be outfitted with a system that alerts the driver if their seatbelt is not fastened and a feature that autonomously reduces speed.

However, a 46-year-old farmer from Hokkaido’s Tokachi region cautioned against over-reliance on automated features that govern speed and plowing operations.

“Automated machinery functions can make farmers negligent,” he said. “Accidents are more likely to happen at such times.”

The farmer suggested that new types of accidents are likely to happen as farming machinery gets more sophisticated.

For instance, tractors with automatic steering mechanisms increasingly feature in farms due to a lack of personnel. Farmers often try to jump on the tractors, resulting in numerous falls.

The farmer said he makes a point of switching off his tractor each time he finishes using it.

At the same time, he said farmers need to “take the issue of safety much more seriously” for the sake of not only themselves but also temporary staffers hired during particularly busy seasons.

Tamura urged consumers to think of farming accidents as their own problem as well because the declining number of farmers will inevitably impact food distribution unless safety is ensured in the industry.

“Consumers are aware of the topic of food security, but not of the safety of those who produce their food,” Tamura said.

(This article was written by Shigehito Nakazawa, Yuka Suzuki and Ryo Suganuma.)