The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has today (Monday, September 26) launched a two-week farm inspection campaign focusing on working safely at height.
During the past ten years, 20 people were killed on Irish farms in accidents involving a fall; 15 of the fatalities related to falls from a height.
From today until Friday, October 7, HSA inspectors will be visiting farms across the country to remind farmers of the serious risks involved in any work at height.
The HSA is urging farmers to ensure that such work is planned, supervised, safe and based on written risk assessments.
It is also encouraging the use of appropriate machinery such as a mobile elevated work platform), especially where farmers are working alone.
The main risks when working at height are falls, either from ladders, from unprotected edges of roofs or other structures and falls through fragile roof materials.
The HSA said that farmers should assess a roof before beginning any work to determine if it could potentially be fragile and be unable to support the weight of a person.
It added that “very serious injuries” can be caused by unsecured ladders slipping sideways or kicking out at the base.
The HSA advised that ladders should only be used as a means of access or for work of very short duration.
Launching the safety campaign, senior inspector for agriculture with the HSA, Pat Griffin said:
“A fall from a height can lead to a very serious life changing injury or even death, taking shortcuts or carrying out work without due regard to the risks involved is not an option.
“Unfortunately in the last ten years we’ve had 15 fatalities on Irish farms relating to work at height and the HSA have received a report of one further fall from height fatality to date in 2022.
“We know working at height is part of the work activity on a farm, but we are urging farmers to plan and organise their work to ensure their safety and health.
“If you’re planning on repairing a shed’s roof, or clearing gutters on sheds you need to complete a simple risk assessment and think about the safety measures you can put in place to ensure safety or maybe seek out a competent contractor with the right equipment to carry out the work safely.
“If you don’t have the right equipment, don’t take the risk, leave it to a competent contractor,” Griffin said.
The HSA added that free online resources are available to help farmers to safely plan work at height on their yards at www.besmart.ie and www.farmsafely.com.