Minister Kelleher calls for renewed vigilance on farm safety

The Minister for Labour Affairs, Billy Kelleher, TD, today (Monday 28 July 2008) has appealed to all those engaged in the agriculture sector to put safety at the very top of the agenda as we enter one of the busiest times of the year for farmers.

Noting that the number of deaths in agriculture to date this year have already passed last year's total, Minister Kelleher said:

“It is clear from studying the reports of these accidents that the vast majority were preventable. I am appealing to all farmers but particularly to elderly farmers and to farmers with young families to think ‘safety first’ at all times. By simply taking five minutes to think about the risks involved before starting any task, you can take preventative measures to lessen the likelihood of an accident or worse.”

So far, 2008 has been particularly tragic in terms of the number of fatalities in the sector. 13 people have sadly lost their lives on farms to date this year, including 3 under the age of 15 and 4 farmers aged 65 and over. This compares to a total of 11 farm fatalites for the whole of 2007.

The fact that the farmyard is often adjacent to the home adds to the risks involved and heightens the importance of assessing the dangers and taking preventative action.

The Minister said:

“Once again I am calling on all farmers to follow the ‘Code of Practice for the Prevention of Accidents and Occupational Ill Health in Agriculture’ and I strongly urge any farmers who have not yet attended the training courses that are being provided, to do so. It may save not only your life but also the lives of farm family members, workers or visitors to your farm."

The Minister is anxious to highlight that this is an issue that affects the whole island. Last month, Minister Kellerher addressed the first all-island farm safety conference in Monaghan. He expressed his concern at the unacceptable level of accidents and fatalities on farms on our island. At the conference, the Minister noted that farming is a tradition that goes back centuries in all parts of the island and while farms have always been potentially dangerous places to work, the modern farm is even more so.

Concluding his message to those working in the agriculture sector, the Minister warned that the current spell of poor Summer weather might, of itself, bring additional risks:

“The weather this summer so far, as we all know, has not been good. I want to implore farmers not to take any undue risks if and when the weather improves. The temptation for some may be to take shortcuts when it comes to health and safety as they try to make up for lost time. Safety should never be compromised. It is just not worth the risk.”

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