Many think of farming as a healthy way of life. For some that is certainly the case, but daily pressures such as working against the weather to complete seasonal tasks like sowing and harvest, as well as working in atrocious weather conditions lambing ewes all take their toll.

Sadly, along with doctors, farmers are one of the groups in society more likely to commit suicide. On top of that depressing statistic, agriculture remains the most dangerous occupation. Of all the major industries, farming has the highest rate of workplace deaths, never mind injuries.

Having said that, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has done a marvellous job over the years improving the industry's dismal record.

As a youth I remember many older farmers and farm workers had one or more fingers missing, were blind in an eye or walked with a limp. Others less-fortunate were housebound or bed-ridden as a result of a more serious injury at work or respiratory disease like farmers lung.

A pending visit by an HSE inspector used to prompt feverish activity on the farm as my father ordered the men to hide machinery that had guards missing out-of-sight in woods, as well as ladders with rungs missing or riddled with woodworm.

Gradually over the years the HSE educated us to be more mindful of farm safety and to carry out written on-farm risk assessments before undertaking tasks. Such disciplines have led to farmer's lung, that debilitating disease caused by breathing in mouldy dust in barns, becoming virtually a thing of the past thanks to better working practices, dust extractors and face masks.

Similar progress has been made with illnesses associated with chemical sprays and sheep dip thanks to safer chemicals and protective clothing.

Over the years accidents and ill health have been gradually reduced - although there is still a long way to go.

When people are tired there's always a greater risk of an accident, and sometimes temptation to keep going when conditions are unsafe. For instance, when working with damp crops there's a greater chance of machine blockages and breakdowns. Sadly, it's not uncommon for serious accidents to occur where farmers have started to clear such blockages with machines still running.

It's all too easy to try to save time by not replacing a guard after a repair - but those precious minutes saved in the mad rush to finish a job could cost a life. Coats, trousers and scarves all too easily get caught up in drive-shafts, chains or gears.

Back injuries were a common occurrence on farms at one time. That was a result of lifting awkward, heavy weights, or carrying 10 or 12 stone (65 - 75 kg) sacks of grain or feed - often up steps to a loft. The younger generation should be spared the suffering that caused as, over the years, legislation has drastically reduced the maximum weight of bags allowed, and anyway, most materials are now handled by bulk.

One of the many benefits of greater awareness of health and safety at work is that young employees can get basic training on the correct way to lift weights to avoid back injuries.

It's a sad fact of life that we all grow older - a glance at any mirror will confirm that. The average age of Scotland's farmers is reckoned to be around 60 and steadily getting older. More and more elderly farmers are continuing to actively work on their farms.

I remember reading a set of HSE figures some years ago, indicating that a quarter of fatal farm accidents involved farmers over normal retirement age, with some in their 80s. It pointed out that even relatively minor accidents become life-threatening for the elderly.

It's easy to forget we become less agile as we get older. Farmers also need to remember that as they often work alone, they could lie injured for some time before being discovered. Bearing those points in mind, it is important to think carefully about the task to be undertaken, and to carry a mobile phone so help can be summoned when things go wrong.

Livestock, particularly cattle, are a constant threat to farmers and their workers. They can cause some very serious injuries by kicking, biting, butting or goring and trampling.

Apart from such injuries, there is also the risks posed by disease transmission from animals.

A farm has many dangers for the unwary, so caution should be the watchword.