Some 966 farm inspections and investigations have been carried out by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) in 2017 to date, according to the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O’Connor.

This makes up just under 25% of the total number of inspections – 4,075 – carried out by the HSA so far this year.

There has already been a high level of farm fatalities this year; a total of 12 people have been killed on Irish farms in 2017. Seven out of these 12 fatalities involved farmers aged 70 or over.

During the past decade, the number of farm inspections and investigations carried out by the HSA has fluctuated from year-to-year.

In 2010, just 1,646 inspections and investigations were carried out; this rose to a high of 3,136 during 2012. Last year, a little over 2,000 inspections and investigations were conducted by the HSA.

farm inspections, HSA

Farm inspections and investigations from 2011 to 2016

Minister Mitchell O’Connor revealed the data in a response to a recent parliamentary question from Fianna Fail’s Spokesperson on Agriculture Charlie McConalogue.

Funding of farm safety initiatives

The HSA projects that it will spend €287,000 on farm safety initiatives during 2017, according to the minister; this would equate to close to 19% of the HSA’s total proposed expenditure on safety initiatives for the entire year.

The budget for farm safety initiatives has dropped by close to €100,000 year-on-year; an estimated €384,000 was spent by the HSA on farm safety initiatives in 2016, figures show.

In comparison to other years, this would be the first year since 2011 that the HSA’s expenditure on farm safety initiatives drops below €300,000 if the proposed expenditure figures become a reality.

HSA

HSA expenditure on farm safety initiatives between 2011 and 2017

It is important to note that annual figures for expenditure include some cross-sectoral initiatives, where the expenditure would also be relevant to other sectors; it is not possible to extract this, so it has been included as the full figure, the minister added.

Farm inspections

The work carried out by the HSA in relation to farm safety is not confined to specific farm safety initiatives or formal inspections, Minister Mitchell O’Connor said.

Visits to farms by inspectors include routine unannounced inspections to monitor compliance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act (2005); to monitor other health and safety regulations; and to investigate fatal or serious farm accidents, the minister said.

In 2017, the HSA is carrying out three focused farm campaigns; each one a month in duration.

“The first focused on animal handling, the second on working with machinery, and the third [one is set to focus] on working from heights.

“Since 2014, the HSA has redirected some of its inspection resources to engaging directly with farmers on other accident prevention initiatives,” she said.

This approach continues in 2017, particularly through the Knowledge Transfer Groups. All facilitators of Knowledge Transfer Groups have now been trained in occupational health and safety by both Teagasc and the HSA.

Results of the HSA’s most recent month-long farm inspection campaign – which focused on safety around machinery – are expected to be released in the coming weeks.