Written Answers. - Health and Safety Regulations.
Willie Penrose
Question:
72
Mr. Penrose
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
the measures, if any, she has put in place to improve farm safety in view of the statistics on farm deaths, particularly those involving children, reported for 1998 and to date in 1999; the discussions, if any, she has had with the Department of Education and Science with a view to introducing a farm safety awareness programme in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[11032/99]
The Health and Safety Authority is the State body charged with responsibility for the administration, enforcement and promotion of all workplace health and safety legislation.
Due to the high-risk nature of agriculture, it continues to be an ongoing priority area of activity for the Authority. In 1999 the Health and Safety Authority has planned 1,000 inspections in the farming and forestry sector, which is an increase of 200 over the 1998 figure.
Particular attention will be paid throughout the year to the promotion of child safety with the assistance of farming organisations, the education authorities and the Garda community liaison service and an emphasis will also be placed by the Authority on encouraging farmers to carry out appropriate risk assessments and to draw up safety statements. In addition, the Authority will participate in a European campaign on farm safety focusing in particular on safety statements and child safety education and training.
The authority is organising an information campaign on child farm safety during the 1999 summer season, targeting both safe work and safe play on farms. The Authority, in consultation with relevant interests in the sector, is also currently considering the development of a code of practice on the prevention of accidents to children on farms.
The Authority has written to all primary school teachers, through the Department of Education and Science, urging them to reshow a videoFarming – a way of life, which was produced and first distributed in 1996. The intention is that this video will be shown before the summer holidays. The video is also accompanied by a teachers manual.
The Authority's farm safety task force continues to offer guidance to the Authority and to spearhead promotion activities. The members of this task force are drawn from the farming community itself, and they work closely with farming organisations such as the IFA, the ICMSA, the ICA and Teagasc.
The Authority this year is also part-funding a Department of Health and Children promotion at the clinical sciences institute, University College Galway. This will involve (a) an evaluated report on the safe tractor driving programme, and (b) the provision of an evaluated farm safety information/activity package for use in primary schools as part of an ongoing agri-sector project.
The year 1998 was a very tragic one in terms of farm fatalities. There were 26 fatalities, six of which were children. To date in 1999, there have been 12 fatalities, five of which were children.
As with all sectors of employment, prevention is the key element in tackling workplace accidents and fatalities. Farmers must acknowledge that farming is a hazardous occupation which carries very specific risks to themselves, their workers and, indeed, their families. As part of the preventative process all farmers should draw up a safety statement and keep existing statements under regular review.
The Health and Safety Authority has an extensive range of information material available to anyone seeking advice and guideance and also works closely with all of the major farming organisations. I would encourage all farmers to seek information from either of these sources on how best they can improve their work practices and so ensure the health and safety of both themselves and their families.
