It is hoped that a new code of practice will stop Irish farmers from engaging in unsafe work practices, writes Áine Kerr
Irish farms are among the most dangerous workplaces in the State and account for a rising number of fatalities and serious injuries despite extensive awareness campaigns and safety training courses.
Of particular concern is that children and elderly people account for seven out of every 10 deaths on Irish farms.
Next month, a new code of practice for farm safety will be launched at the National and World Ploughing Championships in Tullow, Carlow in an effort to improve Ireland's safety record that has been tarnished by 180 farm-related deaths over the past decade.
That poor record continued last week when an 11-year-old boy became the 13th victim of a fatal farm incident in Ireland this year.
Statistically, the agricultural sector is now outstripping the construction sector in terms of the number of work-related incidents. The rate of worker fatalities per 100,000 workers in agriculture and fishing reached 14.7 in 2005 compared with 8.3 per 100,000 in the construction area.
Accidents with farm machinery account for over 45 per cent of deaths over the past five years, followed by accidents involving livestock, felling of trees, handling of slurry, falls from a height and electrocutions.
When farming workplaces came under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act in 1989, there was a consistent emphasis on implementation of the new regulations and best practices, leading to a reduction in farm fatalities. Fifteen years later, however, farmers are no longer fearful of prosecution, according to Pat Griffin, senior inspector for agriculture policy with the Health and Safety Authority.
Sending a "blank document" to farmers in an effort to obtain information about their safety practices has proven to be a "waste of time" according to Griffin, who contends that the newer system of filling out checklists combined with training courses is much more effective.
He says the new code of practice to be launched next month in the Farm Safety Village at the ploughing championships will be of immense use to farmers in helping them to comply with regulations while also minimising risks.
When the code of practice becomes effective, a pilot scheme that enabled 1,200 farmers to undertake a safety training programme earlier this year will be launched countrywide.
"As an inspector we would find that if farmers gave five or 10 minutes every day to considering safety risks and identifying hazards and put these right before they start, then accidents might be reduced," he says.
The reasons for the increasing fatality rate among older persons are varied. One possible explanation is that the growing phenomenon of part-time farming has increased the responsibility of older members of the family on the farm. Added to this, persons over the age of 65 can sometimes suffer from reduced hearing, mobility and vision, making them more prone to accidents.
In an effort to retain the help of older family members on the farm, while also ensuring their safety, farm owners need to consider the limitations of older persons and provide work that is appropriate to their age and abilities, says Griffin.
"In the case of children who tend to visit farms during the summer and are not as familiar with a farm's working, parents need to take responsibility and farmers need to have a designated play area, while also informing children about all the dangers on the farm."
The chairwoman of the Irish Farmers' Association Farm Family Committee, Mary Sherry, highlights speed, unstable and oversized loads, lack of maintenance of indicators, lights and braking systems and inexperienced operators as key factors in preventing accidents.
Referring to the summer season when farmers and contractors are under pressure to complete work as machinery and operators become available, she warns that excess speed is one of the greatest causes of accidents and is particularly dangerous for farm vehicles towing awkward heavy loads.
Frank Laffey, national health and safety specialist with Teagasc, says that in the absence of full-time farmers and farm helpers, animals are no longer accustomed to human handling.
"With younger animals, you will notice that they aren't used to being handled and when they get older and stronger they will be frightened by a human coming into contact with then," he says. As a consequence, incidents in which bulls have charged or young animals have crushed the farm help have become increasingly common occurrences.
However, despite the long and varied explanations available for the increasing rate of farm fatalities, Laffey contends that farmers' behaviour is the single greatest contributing factor.
He describes Irish people as a "nation of risk takers" when it comes to activities such as entering a field with a bull, undertaking roof fixing and climbing unstable ladders.
"In some occupations, you might get away with taking risks, but farming isn't one of them because you are dealing with increasingly powerful machinery. When you make mistakes, the mistakes will be punished," he says.
But while farm bodies might take heart from the fact that there has been a decline in the number of children who have died in farming-related incidents in recent years, Laffey describes the reduction as a case of "luck".
"You still see children up in tractors, in rings with animals. Thankfully, there have been only one or two child deaths recently, but one or two is too many. Yes, in some respects the awareness message is getting through, but it remains too early to say that people are learning a lesson."
In the efforts to minimise risks and improve farm safety, he believes finance should not be listed as a hindrance, with a slurry pit cover judged as an expensive item at around €800. "It's time for farmers to take action and change their behaviour. There has been some resistance to that in the past.
"This problem is crucial and must be taken seriously. Farmers need to become more disciplined."