The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has expressed concern at the growing number of elderly people being killed on Irish farms.
A spokesman for the authority said it had noted the increase in the age profile of victims in recent years.
He was speaking as the HSA began another investigation into the latest farm death which also involved an elderly man in Donegal.
The death took place last Saturday of Tommy McClay (71) Lahey, Co Donegal when he became entangled in machinery behind a tractor.
On the previous Monday, PJ O'Connor (65), Dromore near Bantry, Co Cork, died when he was injured while repairing a silage grab at his farm.
The fact that 80 per cent of recorded workplace deaths have happened on farms so far this year is unusual in so far as fatalities tend to peak from midsummer to the end of harvesting.
"We are very concerned that there have been so many farm deaths so far this year and we have also noted the age profile of those people involved," said a spokesman.
He said he believed changing farming practices which meant that younger farmers were working off the farm leaving some work to be done by older members of the family would appear to have a bearing on the issue.
"We have also been looking at the rise in deaths of elderly farmers involving livestock because there appears to be a problem that livestock are not being handled as often and are not as docile as in the past," he said.
The spokesman said these issues are being addressed in a new initiative which had been launched by the authority which involves farmers taking short courses in farm safety.
In 2003, there were 20 fatal accidents on farms and 23 in the construction industry. In 2004 there were 13 farm deaths and 16 on construction sites and last year, 17 farm deaths compared with 23 in construction
In a recent 10 year review of farm deaths, the HSA found that tractor and machinery accidents accounted for 50 per cent of deaths.
Being crushed, rolled-over or getting caught in power drives operated in stationary positions were the major causes of such accidents
Livestock related injuries (13 per cent), falls mainly from heights (13 per cent) and slurry/water drowning (10 per cent) are the other major causes of farm deaths. Children account for 20 per cent of those killed on farms.
In recent years fatalities to farmers over 65 years account for over 50 per cent of persons killed on Irish farms. There were 180 deaths in the 10 years reviewed up to last year.