The pain, human suffering and economic loss caused by serious and fatal accidents is immeasurable and I would like to extend my sympathy to those who have lost loved ones or been affected by an accident.

It is encouraging that the number of fatalities on farms declined in 2021, however we mustn’t get complacent. We are still not where we need to be in terms of farm safety. Farming remains one of the most dangerous sectors to work, according to the Health and Safety Authority figures, and we need to remain vigilant to ensure that the number of accidents and resulting fatalities continue to decline.

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 we as a farming community must rise too and deliver.

FBD Insurance’s risk manager and vice chairman of the Farm Safety Partnership, Ciaran Roche, and FBD Insurance’s chief commercial officer John Cahalan.

Farm safety week is a reminder to take a step back and look at work practices on-farm. Safety must not be left to chance and small changes can make a big difference. This farm safety week, we are urging farmers to take the time to carry out a risk assessment, implement appropriate safety controls and ensure that safe behavioural work practices are carried out at all times. By proactively managing safety on the farm, we can prevent accidents and make the farm a safer place for all.

Time is a precious commodity on farms, but it is important to take the time to think about the task you’re carrying out; have a plan for the task, checking that all necessary precautions have been taken and be sure that you are not putting yourself, your family or your staff in danger by proceeding. Make safety a priority on your farm. Always think safety first.