There has been an increase in the number of fatal accidents on Irish farms this year. A total of 18 deaths have occurred so far in 2003, an increase of five on 2002.
Mr Frank Laffey, Teagasc farm safety specialist and chairman of the Farm Safety Partnership Group, said the figures signify the continuing tragedy of death and injury on Irish farms.
"Over the past decade we have had an average of 20 deaths each year," he said. The causes showed the same pattern as in previous years, confirming that farms are the most dangerous workplaces in the country.
"Tractors and machines were the biggest contributor followed by falls, animals and slurry drowning," he said.
Mr Laffey appealed to every farmer to complete the Farm Safety Self-assessment Document issued recently by the Health and Safety Authority. "This document is in the form of a checklist and helps you to identify the key controls that are missing on your farm."
At the opening of the organisation's €250,000 publicity campaign to prevent farm accidents it was learned that 90 per cent of farmers had failed to put a farm safety statement in place, despite being under a legal obligation to do so. Only 10-14 per cent of farmers were complying. Attempts to link farm safety requirements to payments from Brussels had failed.