The Southeast Weld Fire Protection District in the US has confirmed that six people are dead following a dairy accident.

The Colorado-based fire department was dispatched to what it referred to as a "confined space rescue" on Wednesday (August 20) at approximately 6:00p.m.

The department stated that crews responded to a dairy unit at 32000 block of Weld County Road 18, which is in a rural area about 30 miles north of Denver. 

According to fire chief, Tom Beach, the crews took appropriate precautions when entering the confined space.

Despite the rescue efforts, the Southeast Weld Fire Protection District fire chief confirmed his personnel recovered six deceased individuals from the space.

The Southeast Weld Fire Protection District extended its sincere condolences to the families of the victims.

A 2022 survey by the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Agriculture Statistics Service showed 200,000 work-related injuries occurred on US farms annually.

According to the USDA, the National Safety Council consistently ranks agriculture as one of the most hazardous occupations in the country.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) stated that in 2020, 368 farmers and farm workers died from a work-related injury.

The organisation stated that only fishermen, loggers, and aircraft pilots have occupational fatality rates that are higher.  

OSHA confirmed that of the approximate 200,000 annual injuries, 65% of them involved farm family members. 

The leading causes of agricultural deaths in the US were from tractors and vehicles, machinery, and livestock.

Health and safety organisations are reminding farmers to take care when working with machinery.

They urged farmers to remember that the power take-off (PTO) is one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment on the farm.

Operators never reach across the PTO, wear suitable clothes when using it and keep limbs away, and always disengage the PTO and remove the keys when leaving the machine.

Quad bikes are another large statistic in farm deaths. Farmers have been reminded that quads are not toys, and have been called on to drive the vehicles responsibly, wear a helmet, and not to carry passengers.

Many farmers lose their lives to overturned tractors. Farmers should wear a seatbelt at all times, and install roll bars on tractors without cabs.

Livestock are typically peaceful animals, but farmers must be calm and gentle with them, do not shout or panic the animals, be aware of their flight zone, and always have an escape route planned.