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This has been a particularly challenging year for farm safety with the COVID-19 pandemic and the additional health and safety risk that this has created on farms. We are at a point where the number of fatal farm accidents has risen to an unacceptable level. The HSA has reported 14 farm fatalities in the first half of the year. If this trend continues at the same rate at least 28 lives will be lost on Irish farms before the end of 2020.
Of particular concern is the increased number of fatal accidents involving children and farmers over 65. The effect of a fatal farm accident to a family and community is immeasurable and my sympathy goes out to everybody who has suffered as a result of a farm accident. Real change is needed. Farmers need to appreciate that every farm is potentially a very dangerous environment unless significant effort is made to manage farm safety daily. It is important that farmers take time to risk assess their working environment, equipment and practices, and to put control measures in place to eliminate unnecessary risks that they take or expose others too.
In order to understand why farmers take risks, they need to look at issues that negatively affect their behaviour when working, such as distractions, stress, fatigue, time constraints and the availability of safe equipment/ facilities. Having identified the issues it is important that appropriate measures are implemented to overcome these challenges.
Ensuring that a strong safety culture and safety behaviours exist within the agriculture sector is key to a sustained reduction in farm accidents. This is the challenge that as a farming community we must rise too and deliver.
Safety must not be left to chance, farmers need to carry out a risk assessment, implement appropriate safety controls and ensure that safe behavioural work practices are carried out at all times. Always think safety first.
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