A wave of unannounced safety inspections focused on farm vehicles is to take place across NI from this month onwards.

A spokesperson for the Health and Safety Executive NI (HSENI) said the preference will be to offer advice to farmers if safety issues are found, although enforcement will be used if necessary.

“Where the risk is too great and where legislation is not being complied with, HSENI staff will take enforcement action,” the spokesperson told the Irish Farmers Journal.

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This includes issuing a “prohibition notice”, which prevents a farm vehicle from being used until defects have been resolved.

“We will also be asking for specific training in use of quads and telescopic handlers. If farmers do not have this specific training, we will be taking enforcement action,” the spokesperson said.

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The eight-month inspection campaign will run through to March 2024 and it will include agricultural contractors during the autumn and winter months.

The number of inspections planned across NI has not been disclosed, although the HSENI spokesperson said: “We will be doing as many inspections as we can.”

The new wave of safety checks will differ from general HSENI inspections, as it will have a strong focus on farm vehicle safety.

Official figures show that 53 fatal accidents occurred on NI farms over the past 10 years, with 17 of these incidents involving vehicles.

“We will be asking farmers to demonstrate the working of brakes on machinery, we will be checking seat belts, operation of wipers, lights and flashing beacons, for example,” the HSENI spokesperson explained.

Vehicle maintenance will also be a focal point of the new inspections and providing evidence of service history will be a requirement.

“Normally we would take farmers word for this, but we will ask for evidence of good maintenance,” the spokesperson said.