Call to make safety of highest priority as eight lives lost on farms

FARMERS have been urged to make safety a high priority to reduce the surge in farm fatalities.

Eight people have lost their lives in farm-related accidents so far this year, compared with 11 for 2009.

Teagasc director Prof Gerry Boyle said, while accidents are caused by a multitude of factors, international studies indicate that human errors are involved in some 90% of the incidents.