Alan Dillon
Question:96. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for an update on the farm safety partnership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8377/24]
View answerThursday, 18 April 2024
Questions (96)
Written answers
The Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee (FSPAC) is an advisory committee to the Board of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and established under Section 38 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. The Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee was established to involve all industry stakeholders in improving occupational safety and health in the Agriculture sector. Its terms of reference include:
To act as a consultative and advisory forum on the HSA’s priorities and work programme for the Agriculture Sector.
To develop and agree a national action plan, coordinating the actions of working groups and representative organisations.
To identify, prioritise and progress the key actions related to improving safety and health standards in the Agriculture Sector.
To identify and agree the critical areas for action and establish working groups to assist in the achievement of the agreed actions.
To coordinate the work of working groups to achieve agreed targets, including a reduction in injury and ill health and an improvement in compliance with occupational safety and health within the sector.
To promote, influence and monitor the national action plan.
To identify, support and promote appropriate research and liaise with the relevant working group and agricultural organisations in the practical implementation of research findings.
To report regularly and formally, at least annually, to the HSA Board and provide a final report with proposed future actions following its four-year term.
Action plans are developed with the aim of reducing the level of fatalities, serious injuries and ill health in the agriculture sector. The FSPAC has identified five critical areas for attention in the action plan 2021-2024 and established working groups to address:
Behaviour, Education and Training
Health and Vulnerable Persons
Tractor, High Risk Machinery
Livestock Handling
Buildings, Work at Height
The FSPAC and the working groups meet regularly to develop and sign off on prevention resources and to discuss progress on delivery of the action plan.
Prevention resources developed by the HSA in association with the FSPAC can be viewed on: www.hsa.ie/eng/your_industry/agriculture_forestry/
The current action plan is available on hsa.ie and a new Farm Safety Action Plan will be developed in Q3 2024 aligned with the overall HSA Strategy.
Further information on the work of the Health and Safety Authority on farm safety may be found on the website at: www.hsa.ie/eng/your_industry/agriculture_forestry/