Alan Kelly
Question:63. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation his plans to improve farm safety nationally. [14909/20]
View answerTuesday, 14 July 2020
Questions (63)
Written answers
The agriculture sector, unfortunately, remains one of the most high-risk sectors in terms of workplace fatalities and injuries. So far this year, of the twenty-nine workplace fatalities reported to the Health and Safety Authority fourteen have been in that sector and tragically, three of these involved young children.
The agriculture sector is different to other sectors in a number of aspects. 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.
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 with 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 in the agriculture sector.
In the past few weeks, the Health and Safety Authority ran a Farm Safety Media Campaign, 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 also 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. It also conducted a specific Livestock Safety Campaign in the first quarter 2020 during which 340 Livestock Safety inspections were carried out in addition to routine inspections.
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 inspections on sectors and businesses reopening post-lockdown with a particular emphasis on compliance issues relating to the Return to Work Safely Protocol.
However, the Health and Safety Authority are now resuming routine inspections across all sectors, including agriculture, and in that regard, are running a farm safety campaign from 13 July for two weeks focusing on tractor and machinery safety. Many other major stakeholders are also involved in Farm Safety Week which is industry led and will run from Monday 20 July. This 2-week campaign will be supported by media advertising including social media.
The Health and Safety Authority and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will co-fund a farm safety media campaign involving TV, Radio and print media on farm safety later this year. In addition, the Health and Safety Authority will work in close co-operation with Minister Heydon and colleagues in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in order to continue efforts to improve safety on farms.
The Health and Safety Authority is also finalising a New Farm Safety Strategy (2021-2023). This strategy will focus on developing a “safety culture” within the agriculture sector by establishing safety norms through education and awareness raising.