IOSH in Ireland welcomes HSA’s strong emphasis on farm safety
A renewed emphasis on farm safety by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has been welcomed by the world’s largest professional safety and health organisation.
A renewed emphasis on farm safety by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has been welcomed by the world’s largest professional safety and health organisation.
The HSA has announced it is to consider prosecution on a case-by-case basis under certain circumstances following a farm inspection.
The body says it has had to review its approach to enforcement in the farming sector as a result of the high number of deaths this year, particularly involving children and young people.
Twenty-five people have died in accidents in the agricultural sector in Ireland so this year, this includes five children. The latest death came on Friday 14 November in the south east of Ireland.
The number of deaths to date this year is 56% higher than the total for the whole of 2013.
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) in Ireland has offered its support to the HSA’s new position, if it helps to make farms safer and saves lives.
Wexford based IOSH Vice President Declan Gibney, said: “It is clear that farming organisations generally feel enforcement is not the answer because of the nature of Irish farms being typically family owned and operated.
“While this change in approach by the HSA may cause some unease across the agricultural sector, it is clear that the present approach is not working as we are not at the point where the number of deaths is starting to fall.
“We are supportive of this change if it will save lives.”
Mr Gibney said the IOSH Ireland Branch has been recently discussing how it and its 1,900 members can support the agricultural industry in order to improve safety for workers, their families and farm visitors. This may be through research, training initiatives or other appropriate support measures that enhance the work of HSA.
The HSA says it recognises that while farmers are very positive to inspection, it has noted that many will wait for an inspection, serious accident or fatality to improve their farm safety standards.
As a result, the HSA is indicating that it will consider pursuing a prosecution on a case-by-case basis on the following matters:
• Farmers working with unguarded PTO assemblies (including defects at U-guard, O-guard and shaft guard)
• Farmers working machinery while carrying children under the age of seven within the cabs
• Farmers having open or unprotected lagoons or agitation points on the farm with risk of persons falling in
The HSA says in all three situations the risk of serious injury or death can be reduced to almost zero.