Farms account for most workplace deaths for seventh year in a row

The Health and Safety Authority said there was a “systemic problem” with safety on Irish farms after the agriculture sector last year accounted for the highest number of workplace deaths for the seventh year in a row.

The criticism from the watchdog came in spite of the overall number of people killed in workplace accidents falling by more than 20 per cent.

Overall, there were 44 people killed in workplaces last year, down from 56 reported deaths in 2015.

The number of deaths on farms however remained high, with 21 reported last year (compared to 18 in 2015). Nine of those killed on farms were men aged over 65.

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Of the 21 deaths, 10 involved tractors or farm vehicles; two involved machinery or equipment; three involved livestock; three involved a fall from a height; two involved falling objects; while a single death was timber related.

The authority’s chief executive, Martin O’Halloran, said it was clear there was a “systemic problem with safety” on Irish farms.

“Safety must become an integral part of farming culture, rather than an afterthought,” he said.

Elsewhere, construction fatalities were down from 11 to nine. Fishing deaths were down from five to three, while the transportation and storage sector had one fatality compared to four in 2015.

Across all sectors, accidents involving vehicles accounted for nearly half of all fatalities. Three-quarters of all deaths involved men aged 25-65 years.