Farm safety campaign gets underway
¤1.5 million bid to fight farm death and injury
A public awareness campaign to keep death off Irish farms in 2007 was launched today (Wednesday, January 10th 2007) by the Minister for Labour Affairs, Tony Killeen T.D., Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mary Coughlan T.D, and the Acting CEO of the Health and Safety Authority, Michael Henry.
The new fully integrated campaign will include a number of key features including:
- Sponsorship of the flagship agri TV show ‘Ear to the Ground’
- A TV advertising campaign commissioned by the Health and Safety Authority
- National and local newspaper advertising
- Other elements of a fully integrated campaign including 48 sheet billboards, use of mart TV.
The campaign will support the new Agriculture Code of Practice, copies of which have been sent to every farmer in the country and will encourage farmers to make use of the Code to tackle injury and occupational ill health on farms. A training programme for farmers is currently being developed and will be rolled out in the coming weeks and months. The cost of producing and distributing the pack as well as the public awareness campaign is ¤1.5m.
In welcoming the campaign, Minister for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen urged farmers to pay heed and not delay implementing the Code. “Adherence to the Code will save, not only farmers lives, but the lives of family members, workers or visitors to the farm, ″ he said.
Minister for Agriculture and Food Mary Coughlan said farm deaths were four times the national average for workplace fatalities. “The Code has been written in a very practical and easy to understand way. This campaign is very timely, ″ she said.
Michael Henry Acting CEO of the Health and Safety Authority said the Authority was launching the largest and most comprehensive farm safety public awareness campaign ever mounted in this country.
“This Code has been developed in conjunction with farmers and farm bodies, real farmers, not actors, were used in the media and marketing elements of the campaign and the success of the Code will lie with farmers themselves, ″ he said.
Gavin Lonergan, Communications Manager for the Health and Safety Authority noted that the campaign marks an approach to message delivery that breaks new ground in the public service. “The campaign represents an innovative and cost effective way of targeting the farming community, ” he said. “The campaign is 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.”
ENDS/LA226
Note on the campaign
The TV element of the campaign will begin on the same day that “Ear to the Ground” kicks off – Jan 11th. It will run for 6 weeks at fairly heavy weights.
The advertisements will run on national TV and will also have a heavy presence on TG4 and popular GAA coverage on Setanta. Farm TV will also be utilised.
The TV is one element of a fully integrated campaign which will also involve sponsorship of Ear to the Ground, press campaign. Press will run in all main national and regional titles. Radio will run on Radio 1, 2FM, Today FM and local radio stations.
Notes on the Code
- 18 people were killed on Irish farms in 2006. One as young as four years of age and ten aged 65 or over. Particularly sobering is the fact that off those ten only two were aged less than 70.
- More people have died in agriculture last year than in any other sector. (Closest is Construction with 12 deaths)
- Estimate of 3,000 injuries on farms each year.
The Code of Practice consists of these three distinct documents for use by farmers. Compliance with the COP involves compliance with all three documents.
- Draft Code of Practice for Preventing Injury and Occupational Ill Health in Agriculture
- Risk Assessment Document
- Safe System of Work Plan
These are all contained in the pack along with a copy of the Authority’s Farm Safety DVD.
Section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 places a legal duty on all employers, including farmers, to prepare and implement a Safety Statement. However, under section 28(8) of the 2005 Act, employers, including farmers, with three or less employees may fulfil their obligations in this respect by following the guidance in any relevant Code of Practice published by the Authority relating to the type of work carried on by them.
The aim of the “Code of Practice for the Prevention of Accidents and Occupational Ill Health in Agriculture” is to provide practical guidance to farmers, farm family members, employees, service providers, advisers, trainers and persons with a role related to safety and health in agriculture on the requirements of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 to help improve the level of safety and health in the agriculture sector.
This code of practice is the result of a joint initiative between the Health and Safety Authority and the Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee to the Health and Safety Authority.
In particular, the Code identifies the data available on fatalities, injuries and ill heath in farming and sets out approaches to reduce such occurrences. Priority is given to issues leading to the most serious causes of injury and ill health.
A failure to observe any part of a Code of Practice will not in itself render a person liable to civil or criminal proceedings. However, where a Code gives practical guidance on the observance of any of the relevant statutory provisions, compliance or non-compliance with those provisions may be admissible as evidence in criminal proceedings.
The aim of the code is to improve the level of safety and health in the agriculture sector. In particular, the code examines the data available on fatalities, injuries and ill heath in farming and shows how such occurrences can be reduced.
Priority is given to issues that lead to the most numerous and serious causes of injury and ill health.
ENDS
Last modified: 10/01/2007
| © 2012 Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation | Privacy Statement |
,
