Agri-workers eight times more likely to die on the job

Farmers are eight times more likely than those in the general labour force to die in a workplace accident, according to the Health and Safety Authority.

An average of 19 people die in farm-related accidents every year, with a total of 194 deaths in the last decade.

To date in 2016, there have been 14 farm deaths, seven which related to tractors or farm machinery. Livestock and falls from a height accounted for two each. Of those who died, one was a child and four were farmers over 65 years of age.

The figures emerged as the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and Teagasc hosted a national conference on farm safety and health in Westmeath. Martin O’Halloran, HSA chief executive, told the conference farm safety and health were no longer new on the agenda and farmers, along with farming organisations, were becoming more aware of the need to manage safety and health like any other element of the business.

He said: “We have produced extensive guidance and information and made it easily accessible to farmers.

“However, this cannot be seen as the end result. We must ensure their use in everyday work by all farmers, once that happens real changes in approach will yield significant improvements.”

Michael Noble of Mental Health Ireland said stress among farmers often resulted in people taking their own lives when they felt unable to cope. He spoke about the importance of building resilience and the ability to cope with all aspects of modern life.

One farmer who has managed to maintain his mental health in spite of suffering major injuries in a farm accident in 2009 is Peter Gohery.

He lost his left leg when it got caught in an unprotected power take-off on his tractor. He would have lost his right leg too but for the quick actions of his son Ryan, 10 at the time, who managed to switch it off.

Unable to keep suckler farming due to the risk of dealing with large animals with reduced mobility, Mr Gohery not only turned to tillage farming, but also went to college and received a degree in environmental health and safety. Now he travels the country giving briefings on the dangers of the profession. And rather than rely on statistics, he is able to give first-hand practical examples. Ryan has also taken up the challenge of educating others, giving a presentation to other children on the impact the accident had on him.

Mr Goher is lobbying the Government and the EU to fund an education scheme across the country. He believes there would be a network of at least 12 farmers with personal experience of the dangers who would be willing and able to deliver the course.

“There was a similar programme in Sweden and it reduced the death rate to zero,” he said, adding the EU had failed to fund such an initiative here.