We must focus on reducing deaths on Irish Farms – Minister Pat Breen

17th November 2017

Minister Pat Breen calls on stakeholders to intensify efforts to reduce accidents in the sector at National Farm Safety Conference in Ennis

The Health and Safety Authority and Teagasc, with FBD sponsorship and the support of the Farm Safety Partnership, hosted a ‘National Conference on Farm Safety and Health’ today at the Auburn Lodge Hotel in Ennis, Co. Clare.

Farming continues to be the most hazardous occupation in Ireland, consistently reporting the highest number of fatalities in comparison to other sectors over the last number of years.

Making the opening address, Minister Breen said: “Farming remains an important part of Irish life and an key part of our economy. Across the farming community there have been 21 people killed due to work activity so far in 2017. This is too high. Families are grieving. We must make every effort to ensure that workplace deaths in the farming industry are reduced. Throughout this year, I have engaged with stakeholders involved in farming on this issue to find solutions to this crisis. Progress is being made, information and training is out there but we need to change the mindset and culture and ensure that safety is a priority for farmers and their families. I again repeat my call for Farmers to stay safe, think about your actions, consider your work practices. The toll on the community and on farming families is simply too high.”  

Professor Jim Phelan, Chairman of the Farm Safety Partnership told the conference: “There has been a shift in the last number of years towards fatalities amongst older people in agriculture and that is very concerning. I believe that the solution to reducing these deaths is a multi-agency or multi-stakeholder approach where we strongly target vulnerable groups, such as elderly farmers, with safety messages and supports. It will take significant investment in terms of time and money but we must address this issue with resources.”

Teagasc Advisors are paying particular attention to the organisation of work and are assisting farmers to cut workload through farm modification and change in practices. We have to look at the contributing factors that cause farm accidents and come up with solutions that will get buy-in from farmers.“

Clare dry-stock farmer, Michael Callinan told the conference how he operates his family farm. Michael has won three awards in the categories of Farmyard, Livestock and Safety. He spoke about the importance of keeping the yard tidy and understanding the importance of livestock safety. He also told attendees that safety just doesn’t happen, it needs time and attention. “Because I work off farm, everything I do on the farm must be efficient, time managed and I always consider if I can do the job more efficiently and safer. Every farmer must put their safety, and their health, first every day.”

Tom Coughlan, Chairman of the HSA Board said: “The remit of the Authority covers all sectors and workers but it is clear that the number of deaths occurring on Irish farms is at crisis levels. The Board of the Authority met here in Ennis yesterday to show our support for this event and to hear the speakers today. This conference will help the Authority to develop new strategies on farm safety.”

Ends

For further information please contact Mark Ryan, Health and Safety Authority Press Officer on 01 6147068 / 086 8036141 or mark_ryan@hsa.ie

Photo Editors

Photography available from O’Rourke Photo

Editors Notes

Other presentations

Teagasc Agricultural Engineer Mr JJ Lenehan spoke about the increased risk of cow attacks at or around calving time. Deaths due to cow attack outnumber bull deaths by two to one. He outlined modern designs for calving pens where farmers and vets are physically protected when calving cows. He also pointed out that considerable funding is available for farm safety improvements through the DAFM Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS11).

Teagasc Education Officer, Mr Paul Mullins pointed out that human behaviour is associated with up to 90% of accidents. He stated that the aim of half-day training on the revised HSA Code of Practice Risk Assessment document is to assist farmers with its completion and to provide motivation to implement safety controls. He pointed out that all farmers must complete the new revised Risk Assessment document by the end of 2018 and implement improvements.

Causes of farm deaths in 2017 – 21 to Date

Children/ Young persons under 18yrs:           1

Farmers aged 65 or over:                               12

Other Farmers:                                               8

Counties with Fatal Accidents in 2017

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