Nineteen people lost their lives in farm accidents in 2020, the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has confirmed.

Nine of the victims were aged over 65, with three being children under the age of 18. The death toll is identical to that of 2019, which was an improvement on the 25 fatalities in 2017.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Minister of State Martin Heydon said: “My appointment as the first dedicated Minister of State with special responsibility for farm safety is an indication of this Government’s determination to drive down the unacceptably high level of farm fatalities and farm safety incidents.”

Farming accounts for nearly 50% of all workplace fatalities, despite accounting for only 6% of the workforce. In total, 214 people have lost their lives in farm accidents in the decade from 2010 to 2019, which Heydon says is “simply not acceptable.”

We need to bring farmers with us on this journey

“There is no one silver bullet. If this was a problem that was easily fixed, it would have been fixed a long time ago,” said Heydon. “Ultimately we have to change the culture, and make farm safety the first thought every day for the farmer, rather than an afterthought.”

“We need to bring farmers with us on this journey, so we have two new initiatives. The accelerated capital allowance scheme is a tax incentive scheme for farmers that will allow them to fully offset investment of a number of different farm safety measures against their tax over the first two years.

“Such investments don’t have a financial return, but we’ve got to increase the priority farmers put on them. These include backing gates, bag lifters and chemical stores. As well as preventative measures, it also applies to necessary investments by farmers who have suffered injury.”

Minister Heydon is also calling for proposals from farmers under the Innovation Partnership (EIP) model.

At least four or five projects will be funded by the €1m secured

“If any individual, small group or organisation has an idea to tackle issues of farm safety, we want to hear from them. This project also applies to farmer wellbeing, mental health challenges and rural isolation issues. Get applications into the Department of Agriculture before the end of January,” he urged.

“At least four or five projects will be funded by the €1m secured. If they prove successful in their local area, we would then be able to scale them up to be nationwide, and hopefully be incorporated into the new CAP. I’m absolutely determined that farmer safety and wellbeing will be an integral part of the new CAP.”

Heydon added that around 50,000 farmers are set to receive vital safety training in 2021: “The revised HSA Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee and its new working groups are now in place.

“We can make loads of excuses,” he concluded. “The farmyard is a unique working environment, the family home tends to be in the middle of it, and children tend to be around. That’s no reason not to do something. We have to make unsafe practices socially unacceptable.”