The UK’s agriculture sector is more aware than it’s ever been when it comes to performing underground asset searches, according to new research. The number of safe digging searches from farmers has grown for the sixth year in a row, with a 17 percent increase, according to Digging up Britain 2024.
Farmers, fencers, contractors, engineers and tree surgeons all played a part in the UK’s safest digging year in history, which saw a record-breaking 3.92 million search enquiries being placed in 2023. This means more people than ever are searching for underground pipes and cables before they put a digger bucket, fence post or spade in the ground.
The annual report by LSBUD, which provides an accurate barometer of digging activity across the country, reveals that 164,642 more searches were placed in 2023 than the previous year. This is a 4.4 percent increase and highlights a greater awareness from the safe digging community.
The agriculture sector is experiencing a ‘boom’ in searches, growing by 17 percent (to 9,804) over the past year, and 363 percent in just the last five years. This can be put down to a greater willingness from farmers to improve traditional working methods and better education surrounding safe digging practices within the industry. Whilst the sector has made significant progress, there is a long way to go, especially given that DEFRA states there are over 290,000 agriculture workers in the UK.
Richard Broome, Managing Director at LSBUD, comments: “Those working in our agriculture sectors really seem to have got the message that they need to search before they dig, which is fantastic. Farmers have taken a substantial step forward, becoming more conscious of the dangers that exist below them, and it is evident that education within the farming community is improving.”
