Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 4 Nov 1999

Vol. 510 No. 2

Written Answers. - Farm Accidents.

Willie Penrose

Question:

15 Mr. Penrose asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps, if any, she has taken together with the Department of Education and Science to reduce the number of farm accidents, particularly among children over the summer months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16929/99]

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Mr. T. Kitt)

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. The issue of farm safety and, in particular, the safety of children on farms, continues to be of concern both to myself and to the authority.

The Health and Safety Authority has planned 1,000 inspections in the farming and forestry sector in 1999, which is an increase of 200 over the 1998 figure. Particular attention has been 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 the authority has emphasised to farmers the need to carry out appropriate risk assessments and to draw up safety statements to cover all hazards on the farm.

The authority has undertaken a number of specific initiatives in relation to child farm safety in 1999. These initiatives include an information campaign on child farm safety which was organ ised by the authority during the 1999 summer season and which targeted both safe work and safe play on farms. The authority, in consultation with relevant interests in the sector, is currently at the final stages of developing a code of practice on the prevention of accidents to children on farms which they hope to have published in the near future. Before the summer holidays the authority, through the Department of Education and Science, communicated with all primary schools urging them to reshow a video, "Farming – a way of life", which was first produced and distributed in 1996. A farm safety handbook was launched by the authority in September 1999 at the National Ploughing Championships. It is a handbook of practical advice and guidance for farmers to enable them to achieve high standards of health and safety during farming operations. A section of the handbook is dedicated to child safety on farms. A very successful children's farm safety competition was also held over each of the three days of the ploughing championships with the aim of raising awareness among children of farming hazards. The authority this year also part-funded a Department of Health and Children promotion at the clinical sciences institute, University College Galway. This involved an evaluated report on the safe tractor driving programme, and the provision of an evaluated farm safety information-activity package for use in primary schools as part of an ongoing agri-sector project. The safe tractor driving training is provided for 14-16 year olds on an ongoing basis designed to develop safety skills in relation to tractor driving.

In addition to these initiatives 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 Health and Safety Authority also has an extensive range of information material available to anyone seeking advice and guidance and will continue to work closely with all of the major farming organisations in promoting farm safety.

Finally, both I and the authority will continue to urge all farmers and farm workers to treat their work as a high-risk activity and to be constantly vigilant of both their own health and safety and that of their families and their workers.