New inspection focus

Farm safety inspections are set to be a priority for the Health and Safety Authority this year.

In all, 3,000 farms will be subjected to safety inspections, accounting for almost one in four of the inspections which the HSA will undertake. In addition, a further 100 inspections will take place in the forestry sector.

Last year, 22 people lost their lives in farm accidents, with thousands of injuries sustained in accidents.

Agriculture accounts for 6% of the workforce, but it was responsible for 40% of work fatalities last year. The only other sector that will have anything like the same focus from the HSA is construction, but even they will have 500 less inspections than in 2010.

overall reduction

Overall workplace safety inspection numbers will decrease to 13,250 in 2012, compared with the 14,500 carried out in 2011.

''By improving attitudes to safety in high risk sectors, such as farming and construction, we can see real and sustained reduction in accident rates,'' said Minister Richard Bruton.