The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is currently recruiting for a new senior inspector following the retirement of Pat Griffin who had worked for the authority for more than 33 years.
Griffin was instrumental in shaping national farm safety policy during his career and played a lead role in many of the most important campaigns undertaken by the HSA.
He also had responsibility for helping to develop practical information and advice for the agriculture sector on farm health and safety, including the Farm Safety Code of Practice.
Griffin had first joined the HSA in 1991 as an inspector for mines and the quarries sector before moving into a wider inspection and accident investigation position which also covered manufacturing and agriculture.
He then held a number of senior appointments in the HSA which saw him specialise in worker safety and accident prevention across all sectors but he always maintained a “particular interest” in preventing child and older person deaths on farms throughout his career.
HSA
Most recently Griffin had fronted up the 2024 national HSA farm safety campaign back in May.
At the time he had warned that farmers had faced “very serious challenges as a result of the ongoing poor weather” this year.
“Farmers are facing many difficulties at the moment, but they will find that our inspectors will provide guidance to help ensure tragedy doesn’t strike their farm,” Griffin had said.
Outside of Ireland the former HSA senior inspector also made a significant contribution to a number of European initiatives aimed at addressing farm safety and promoting an improved farm safety culture.
He was actively involved in the Safety Culture and Risk Management in Agriculture (SACURIMA) project as the science communication manager, which examined the reasons why agriculture is one of the most “dangerous occupations” in Europe.
According to the HSA the recruitment process is now underway to appoint a new senior inspector whose responsibilities will include the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sectors.