Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 June 2020
344. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if his attention has been drawn to evidence indicating that injuries and fatalities related to agriculture are increasing; and the steps he is taking to address the matter. [13508/20]
View answerThe agriculture sector remains one of the most high-risk sectors in terms of workplace fatalities and injuries and this is a matter of concern to both myself and to the Health and Safety Authority.
So far this year, of the total twenty- seven workplace fatalities which have been reported to the Health and Safety Authority twelve have been in the that sector and, tragically, three of these involved young children.
The agriculture sector is different from other sectors as farms, as well as being workplaces, are usually homes with children and the elderly also living on the farm. Many farmers are part time or have employment off the farm and, being self-employed, many are reluctant to retire resulting in the average age of a farmer being over 58 in Ireland.
The Health and Safety Authority has an extensive agriculture health and safety programme which focusses on the provision of advice, guidance, e-tools and educational supports as well as inspections and investigations. This programme is completed in a collaborative manner and involves key farming stakeholder groups and relevant Government Departments and State Agencies. The focus of these efforts is to put measures in place that can prevent the high levels of injuries and fatalities that we see in the agriculture sector.
In the past few weeks, the Health and Safety Authority ran a Farm Safety Media Campaign, which was specifically designed to promote the farm safety message, particularly regarding tractor safety, through TV, Radio, Farming Press and social media platforms. The Health and Safety Authority participated in TV interviews focusing firstly on child safety on farms during the COVID lockdown and, secondly, in response to examples of poor behaviour by young farmers featuring on social media.
The Health and Safety Authority also conducted a specific Livestock Safety Campaign in the first quarter of this years during which 340 Livestock Safety inspections were carried out in addition to routine inspections. A revised Bale Handling Information Sheet has been produced and this will be circulated to all farm contractors.
With the announcement of Government restrictions due to COVID-19, the Health and Safety Authority continued to investigate farm fatalities but proactive farm safety inspections were suspended. In recent weeks, the inspectors of the Health and Safety Authority have focussed their inspections on sectors and on businesses reopening in accordance with the Governments phased reopening of the economy with a particular emphasis on compliance issues relating to the Return to Work Safely Protocol.
However, the Health and Safety Authority are resuming routine inspections across all sectors and in that regard, a Farm Safety Campaign focusing on Tractor and Machinery Safety will commence between 13th and 24th of July and the Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee intends to deliver a new Programme of Work during 2020.
