Farm inspections rise as safety issues persist

The number of farm inspections increased last year, despite the Health and Safety Authority warning 12 months ago that the number would go down.

New figures from the HSA show that 2,837 farm safety visits were conducted in 2015, with the lowest level of compliance relating to safe slurry handling facilities, safe facilities for calving cows, and safety guards on PTO shafts and similar machinery.

The figures also indicate that dairy farms are still more likely to have a work-related accident or lower level of compliance with safety regulation than other types of farm such as tillage.