Farm safety drive in bid to cut deaths

THE Government will launch a new farm safety drive tomorrow in a bid to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries.

Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan, Tony Killeen, the Minister for Labour Affairs, and acting CEO of the Health and Safety Authority Michael Henry will launch the public awareness campaign, which follows up on the delivery of a new code of practice to every farming household in the country.

The code was delivered to every farmer late last year, amid concern at the consistently high level of farming deaths.

While the number of fatalities in the construction sector fell by half in 2006, compared to 2005, the number of farming deaths fell by one: down from 19 in 2005 to 18 in 2006.

The launch of the new campaign comes just days after a toddler was killed in a tragic farm accident in Co Waterford.

Two-year-old Emma Foran died when she was struck by a truck at the family farm in Shankill, Kilmacthomas, on Friday afternoon. She was laid to rest in her local parish on Sunday.

Two children died on farms last year, although the Health and Safety Authority — which is conducting an investigation into last Friday’s incident — said older farmers were now more likely to fall victim to farming accidents.