A farm inspection campaign by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), which was due to start in early April but was deferred due to weather challenges on farms, is now underway.

The HSA launched the national farm safety campaign on Tuesday (May 7) and are in the process of inspecting farms nationwide to focus on the safe use of tractors and other machinery and vehicles on the farm.

The HSA said that poor weather, and resulting challenges, have made the safe use of machinery even more vital.

There is a short window of time before the harvesting season begins and it is during this window that farmers need to address any maintenance or servicing issues with their machinery and prepare for silage season, according to the HSA.

HSA senior inspectors Pat Griffin said: "We’re running this safety campaign to remind farmers of the need to plan ahead for the safe use of tractors and machinery during the busy silage harvesting season.

"Farmers must also ensure that all workers and contractors involved in silage harvesting have the necessary training and competence to do the job safely. Prevention is always the best policy when it comes to farm safety," Griffin added.

"The condition of the machinery to be used is critical, and any maintenance issues should be addressed now, well in advance of use, particularly in relation to hitching, steering and braking systems," the inspector said.

He called for farmyards to be designated "no-go areas" for pedestrians while large machinery is in operation, due to the extent of "black spots" from tractors, loaders and harvesting machinery.

Farm machinery and vehicles including tractors, teleporters, loaders and quad bikes (all-terrain vehicles or ATVs) continue to be the leading cause of fatalities on Irish farms, accounting for 51% of all farm fatalities over the last 10 years (2014–2023), with farmers over 65 and children at greatest risk.

Some statistics the HSA highlighted include:

Over these last 10 years, there were 96 machinery and vehicle related fatalities on Irish farms;
Of these 96 fatalities, 44 involved tractors, 10 involved loaders or teleporters and 10 involved quad bikes (ATVs);
In the same 10-year period, vehicles were involved in over a third (38%) of fatalities to persons aged 65 years or over (36 deaths);
Vehicles and machinery were involved in 94% of child deaths on farms (16 deaths), i.e. persons under 18 years, over the same period.

According to the HSA, the majority of injuries and fatalities with tractors, loaders, ATVs or other farm machinery involve a combination of operator error, poor maintenance and a lack of training, combined with the presence of children/elderly near the work activity.

The authority is calling on farmers to consider the following questions before proceeding with work:

Has the work activity been risk assessed and planned in advance?;
Have all drivers or operators received adequate instruction and training?;
Are excessive working hours and fatigue managed?;
Are brakes, handbrakes or parking brakes working properly?;
Are cabs and doors in good condition?;
Are tractor mirrors clean, in good condition and set correctly?;
Do all operators of vehicles have the correct personal protective equipment (PPE)?;
Has the farmyard and silage pit area been designated as a no-go area for pedestrians while machinery is operating?;
Is work organised to avoid the presence of young children or other vulnerable individuals such as elderly family members?

Griffin called on farmers and contractors, before the silage season starts, to complete the ‘harvesting checklist’ found in the current Farm Risk Assessment document to help identify any necessary improvements.

"Serious injuries or deaths can be prevented if farmers carry out this risk assessment, plan their work well in advance, ensure basic precautions are taken and remember to keep people and vehicles separate to ensure safety," Griffin.