We must all work together to reduce farm deaths

IT has been another year of sadness on too many Irish farms where loved ones were the victims of fatal accidents. Eighteen lives — too many — were lost in farm accidents last year.

Although the number of people engaged in farming has continued to decline, the scale of fatalities and serious injuries continues to make the headlines.

Farms remain the most dangerous workplace in the country, which highlights the necessity for care by everyone associated with the industry. The fatality rate in agriculture, at 14.7 per 1,000 people engaged in the sector, is four times higher than the workplace average.