A farm safety initiative launched yesterday will seek to reduce the level of farm accidents by 50 per cent.
The plan, which is a joint initiative between the Health and Safety Authority and Teagasc, aims to ensure that all farms with up to three employees complete and implement a new comprehensive risk assessment, as required by new legislation.
At present fewer than 30 per cent of farmers have completed any form of risk safety assessment.
Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan said yesterday that she was concerned at the continuing high level of farm accidents.
She said that to date this year there had been 15 deaths on farms as a result of accidents. This was two more than the total for last year.
Ms Coughlan said that a 10-year review of farm deaths found that 30 per cent of accidents took place during the winter months to January, with 70 per cent occurring to persons aged over 65.
She urged farm families to give health and safety issues urgent attention to prevent further tragedy and suffering.
Minister of State for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen said that the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005, which came into force in September, greatly simplified the task for farmers in complying with health and safety legislation.
For the vast majority of farmers the new law requires the completion and implementation of a risk assessment document as an alternative to preparing a written safety statement.
Health and safety officer John McNamara, who will lead Teagasc's participation in the farm safety project, said that tractors and machinery accounted for 45 per cent of fatalities over the winter months.
