The number of fatal accidents on farms remained stable in the financial year April 2016-March 2017, the HSENI reports. This was in the context of overall workplace deaths increasing from 12 to 16.

"Sadly, farming remains Northern Ireland’s most dangerous industry with another six families devastated in 2016-2017," said HSENI’s chief executive Keith Morrison. "Whilst this is the same figure as 2015-2016, continuing the overall downward trend in deaths since the establishment of the Farm Safety Partnership, I am afraid that six farming families have already suffered similar heartache to date in 2017-2018. Everyone will agree we just cannot see a return to the very high number of farm deaths recorded in 2011 and 2012."

There were 11 farm deaths in Northern Ireland in 2011-2012. The number has remained below 10 every year since then.

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The HSENI details the fatal accidents recorded on farms last year as follows:

  • A 53-year-old self-employed farmer was killed by a bull on his home farm. It appears that the farmer was moving the bull across the open yard when it attacked him. The incident occurred on 23 April 2016.

  • A 57-year-old farmer was found dead on his farm on 30 June 2016. It appears that the farmer was facing a hedge with a chainsaw when he stumbled and he was struck by the chainsaw.
  • A 30-year-old farmer’s son died when his clothes were caught up in a combine harvester. The incident occurred on the September 2016.
  • A 52-year-old farmer was found in a slurry tank on his home farm near Coagh on 14 October 2016.
  • A 73-year-old farmer’s wife was killed while helping her 82-year-old husband move two cows with young calves from a field beside the home farm stead to a cattle shed. The cows became agitated and one of them attacked the lady, knocking her down on to the concrete yard. The incident occurred on 19 October 2016.
  • A 75-year-old farmer died in an incident on his home farm. It appears that the farmer was trying to separate a bull from a herd of cows when the bull attacked. The incident occurred on 28 March 2017.

    • In the past year, the HSENI has focused on educating children on farm safety. The agency's "Be aware kids" campaign reached 7,800 pupils in 84 rural primary schools, and 5,000 children took part in its child safety on farms poster competition. The winning entries appeared in a calendar with 40,000 copies distributed.

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