There have been 11 farm fatalities in 2022, Minister of State, Martin Heydon, confirmed today (Wednesday, November 23) as he also warned that there must be “real changes” when it comes to farm safety awareness.
The number of farm fatalities may also rise before the end of the year, the minister cautioned, as a number of recent fatal incidents on farms are currently being investigated by the Health and Safety Authority.
Adddresing the Teagasc BeSafe National Farm Safety Conference in Dublin today, Minister Heydon said farming is the most dangerous occupation in the country and warned that this trend cannot continue.
“Since 2011, over 230 people have lost their lives on Irish farms,” he said.
“I don’t like talking about statistics as it does not capture the enormity of what each family and community is dealing with.
“But we do know where the risks are. Farm vehicles and machinery are involved in over half of farm fatalities with livestock accounting for one in five fatalities. Falling from height accounts for one in 10 fatalities,” the minister added.
He said that for the first time this year, dedicated funding of €2.25 million had been ringfenced by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to improve farm safety and wellness among the farming community.
The minister said further investment in this area will continue next year and that additional funding totaling €2.5 million will be allocated in 2023.
According to the latest Teagasc National Farm Survey there are also an estimated 4,500 non-fatal incidents each year on Irish farms, some of which result in life-changing injuries.
Minister Heydon said that for him, farm safety is one of the most “critical social issues facing farming” today.
“We all have a part to play here,” he told delegates at the conference.
“Improving farm safety, health and wellbeing is challenging and requires perseverance and determination to achieve long-term results.
“We know where the risks are but we need to examine farmer behaviour around health and safety and design interventions and measures that keep farmers and their families safe,” the minister stated.
Teagasc research on unsafe practices
Minister Heydon pointed, at the conference, to latest Teagasc research which suggests that three in every five farmers “engage in unsafe farming practices”.
He said that although the research highlighted strong awareness of farming as a dangerous occupation there was a perception among some in the farming community that “its part of the job or its what other good farmers do”.
The minister said he was deeply concerned by the results of the research and appealed to farmers to lead a change on this behaviour.
“In many cases, incidents can be prevented by simple changes to behaviour and practices.
“If we are to succeed in bringing real change to the area of farm safety, we need to change the culture across farming and how we consider risk and hazards,” he said.
The minster launched a new series of short videos on managing farm safety and health, which are designed to highlight dangers to farmers and their families and promote risk awareness. The videos can be accessed through the Teagasc website.