Inspectors from the Health and Safety (HSA) carried out over 150 farm inspections during a campaign focused on safety during calving.

Last month, the HSA embarked on a two-week campaign, beginning on January 24, that saw inspectors concentrate on the safe management of livestock on farms.

The HSA outlined that during the calving season the risk of injury to farmers increases significantly.

The organisation stated that 196 people in Ireland were killed while working on farming activities over the past decade; of these fatalities, 38 involved livestock.

During 2021, working with cattle accounted for three fatalities on Irish farms.

HSA inspections

Although, the HSA is still reviewing the campaign, it confirmed to Agriland that it estimated that more than 150 inspections were completed during this particular campaign.

In a statement, it said that inspectors visited farms across 16 counties, including Cork; Mayo; Meath; Roscommon; Sligo; Cavan and Wexford as part of this latest safety initiative.

A spokesperson for the HSA said: “Anecdotally, we found that the majority of farmers had good safety and health measures in place for the calving season.”

However, inspectors did note that “some guidance was needed around having an adequate physical barrier between the farmer and freshly calved cows”. This included when calves were being treated, tagged and handled.

“The majority of farmers had plans and procedures in place which they implemented to minimise risk of attack from livestock. They had adequate facilities and procedures in place for loading and unloading animals,” the spokesperson added.

The authority said that it works closely with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and other farming stakeholders to ensure safety and health messages are communicated to farmers.

The HSA added that its website contains multiple free guides and advice for farmers on the safe handling of livestock.