New farm safety campaign launched

The Government has unveiled a €1.5 million strategy aimed at improving safety on farms, the site of a third of all fatal workplace accidents last year.

According to the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), of the 50 reported workplace fatalities last year, 18 were on farms. Those killed included a four-year-old child and 10 people over the age of 65. An estimated 3,000 people are injured in the agriculture sector annually.

A major advertising campaign will run alongside a training programme for 20,000 farmers that will be rolled out over the next few months. The training will be provided by experienced trainers from organisations such as Teagasc.

The public awareness campaign will include sponsorship of RTE's Ear to the Ground television show and adverts on TG4, Setanta and Farm TV. These will run alongside radio, newspaper, billboard and beer mat adverts.

In addition, copies of a new agriculture Code of Practice have been sent to every farmer in the country. The code, which was developed by the HSA and first unveiled at the World Ploughing Championships in Carlow last September, outlines steps for farmers to improve safety on their farms.

A farm safety DVD will also be available from the HSA.

Minister for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen said statistics over the past decade revealed there has been no significant drop in farm fatalities.

"This suggests that many farmers take risks rather than put things right," he said. "Research indicates that, in general, farmers' attitudes to safety only change after serious injury occurs. The code aims to change this behaviour by offering practical solutions to help prevent injury and ill health."

Farmers are legally obliged to take steps to ensure their farms are safe. Mr Killeen said adherence to the code would not only save lives, but may also reduce insurance costs or protect against any compensation claims.

"In the case of any court proceedings, adherence to the Code could help to convince a judge that all reasonably practicable measures to ensure safety had been taken," he noted.

Minister for Agriculture and Food Mary Coughlan said the code was written in a very practical and easy to understand way. "This campaign is timely," she added.

The HSA's Gavin Lonergan added that the campaign was "not about lecturing to farmers, but encouraging them in a positive way to put safety first as they go about their day-to-day activities."