Fatalities drop but still too high

A DROP in farm deaths from 30 in 2014 to 18 in 2015 has been welcomed by the Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA).

Martin O’Halloran, CE of the HSA, said that in addition to the drop in the number of farm fatalities, another positive development was the increased level of engagement from the sector.

“I have always believed that the best people to implement changes are farmers themselves – we saw evidence of that last year and we look forward to building on that for the future,” said Mr. O’Halloran.

Overall in 2016, there were 56 work related accidents in the Republic of Ireland as compared to 55 in 2014, 47 in 2013 and 48 in 2012.

Even on the lower figure of 18, the farming sector still accounted for the biggest percentage of work related deaths.

Throughout the course of the year, the HSA conducted 3,056 inspections in the farming sector, a figure surpassed only by the 3,932 checks in the construction sector.

With just over half the year gone, there have been eight farm deaths so far in 2016, the last occurring in Fethard, Tipperary, on June 26 last when a teleporter overturned on a stud farm killing a man in his 20s.

Another young man lost his life in early June in Macroom, Co. Cork, when he fell from a shed roof that he was working on.

Galway IFA Environment Chairman, Bertie Roche, said that while it was encouraging to see farm fatalities reduced last year, ‘one death was one too many’ on Irish farms.

“I do think that the awareness of risk on farms is improving but every day farmers must be thinking safety.

“Farming is often a singular and isolated life and I would advise farmers to always carry the mobile phone on their person and to have an alarm button on the phone activated,” said Bertie Roche.

He said that farmers often got caught up in the ‘summer rush’ with silage and hay but stressed that they needed to have a safety awareness process in place.

“In the end, the job will always get done. Take it steady, be careful, have the mobile with you and always be seen. A high vis vest is always to be recommended,” said Bertie Roche.

He said that as well as machinery, farmers should be always on their guard with livestock, particularly bulls, and cows after calving, while there was also a worrying trend of death and injury involving falls from roofs and ladders.