Cattle in fields with public access

Deaths or injuries to members of the public can occur when cattle are in fields with public access. Key considerations for farmers and landowners include:

  • Where possible avoid putting cattle, especially cows with calves, in fields with public access.
  • Where this is unavoidable, do all that you can to keep animals and people separated:
    • Keep the period to a minimum.
    • Monitor the cattle daily.
    • Display signage at the entrance stating what animals it contains.
    • Position feed and water troughs away from public access routes.
  • Don’t keep dairy bulls in fields with public access.
  • Assess the temperament of any cattle before putting them into a field with public access and don’t put an animal in that has shown any sign of aggression. Consider culling any animal that does show signs of aggression.
  • Key guidance for England and Wales can be found here, advice for Scotland is here.

Download our working safely with livestock checklist

We have created these campaign pages and assets to help make sure you consider all the risks and act now to protect everyone on your farm.

Workers that are new to the industry are at higher risk.

Download our working safely with cattle checklist, share them with your workers and discuss how to  keep everyone on the farm safe.