A farm safety awareness campaign has been jointly rolled out by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Health and Safety Authority to focus on promoting behavioural change when operating farm vehicles and machinery.
Over the last ten years there have been 191 farm fatalities of which over half, or 96 people, lost their lives in incidents involving farm vehicles and machinery; 16 of the 17 child fatalities in the same period involved farm vehicles and machinery.
According to the Teagasc National Farm Survey in 2020, approximately 11% of the 4,500 non-fatal incidents on Irish farms each year, involve farm vehicles and machinery, with some resulting in life-changing injuries.
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for Farm Safety, Martin Heydon TD, jointly launched the campaign with Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Neale Richmond
Minister Heydon said: “Right now farmers are battling difficult weather conditions, but these sobering figures highlight the serious safety risks associated with farm vehicles and machinery. In the weeks ahead tractor activity will increase, and we need to drive down the unacceptably high number of fatalities involving farm vehicles and machinery.”
Minister Richmond added that the needless loss of life on Irish farms is an ongoing tragedy. “Farmers must take safety on their farms seriously and take common sense actions to protect themselves and their families. Tractors and farm machinery pose well-known dangers that must be addressed. No job is so important or urgent that a person’s life is put in danger or harm’s way. Don’t take short cuts, it’s just not worth it.”
Conor O’Brien, CEO of the Heath Safety Authority stated: “The evidence is clear, farm machinery and tractors are the leading cause of fatalities and injuries on our farms. Many of these incidents are caused by poor maintenance and upkeep so make sure your machinery is in good working order, particularly brakes and mirrors.”
He said that HSA inspectors will be undertaking a nationwide farm inspection blitz over the coming weeks to support the campaign and help farmers to understand and address the issues
