The Health and Safety Authority is the State body charged with responsibility for the day-to-day enforcement of workplace health and safety legislation.
A total of 13 fatalities in the agricultural sector were reported to the authority for the first six months of 1998. For the same period in 1997 there were six reported agricultural fatalities. In relation to non-fatal accidents, 24 such incidences were reported to the authority for the first six months of 1998, while there were 17 reported non-fatal accidents for the same period in 1997.
I should point out to the Deputy, however, that according to the authority, there is a significant and considerable under-reporting of non-fatal accidents in the agricultural sector and this fact should be borne in mind when examining the figures.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my personal concern, and that of the authority, at this increase in farm fatalities and accidents which is especially worrying given the improvements that had been made in recent years in this sector. It is also particularly tragic and poignant to see that six of the total fatalities so far this year have been children.
Agriculture has always been a priority area of activity for the authority which carries out approximately 800 inspections per year in the agricultural sector. gives talks to farm groups up and down the country, and makes its staff available to farmers through attendance at farm shows and exhibitions, including the national ploughing championships.
In addition, the authority provides an extensive range of guidance literature and information on the control of farm hazards. The authority has also established an agricultural safety task force, the members of which are drawn from the farming community itself and who are, therefore, best placed to offer guidance to the authority and to spearhead safety promotion activities.
In human terms, the cost of farm accidents is enormous. What must be remembered is that despite farming being a family business and the farm containing the family residence, a farm is still a high risk place of work and must be regarded with the utmost care and caution.
It is essential that farmers assess all the risks before undertaking farm tasks and then put in place the necessary safety measures before attempting these tasks. I would like to take this opportunity to urge all farmers who have not done so to draw up a safety statement identifying all the hazards, risks and appropriate safety measures and, where such safety statements exist, to keep them under regular review.
In statistical terms significant improvements had been made both in 1996 and 1997 in relation to the number of farm fatalities. However, 1998 has not been a good year so far and this serves to remind us that there is a constant need for vigilance and the continued promotion of farm safety. I would urge all farmers and farm workers to treat their work as the high risk activity it actually is, and to exercise constant care and vigilance in their work practices, especially so where there are children on the farm.
I would also like to take this opportunity to express my deepest sympathy to all the families who have suffered a bereavement through a farm accident this year. My thoughts are especially with the families of the six children who so tragically lost their lives.