Workplace fatalities down, farm deaths rise

The number of farm deaths rose last year, despite a reduction in the overall number of people killed in workplaces in 2016.

The head of the workplace safety watchdog said the figures point to a “systemic problem” with farm safety.

The Health and Safety Authority has published its end-of-year figures for 2016, which show 44 people were killed in the workplace last year, compared to 56 in the preceding year.

However, despite this overall 21% reduction, the number of farm deaths rose from 18 in 2015 to 21 last year.

Ten of the farm deaths were caused by tractors or farm vehicles, three by livestock, a further three from falls from height and two were attributed to machinery or equipment.

Two farm deaths were caused by falling objects, while a single death was recorded as ‘timber related’.

“The vast majority of sectors experienced a reduction in fatalities last year,” Martin O’Halloran, chief executive of the HSA said.

“However, it is clear that there is a systemic problem with safety on our farms. For the last seven years the agriculture sector has recorded the highest number of fatalities.

“Safety must become an integral part of farming culture, rather than an afterthought,” Mr O’Halloran said.

“Our farm-safety walks and knowledge-transfer groups are designed to effect long-term behavioural change and it is only through this type of transformation that we will see a significant reduction in farm deaths,” he said.

Co Cork saw the highest number of workplace deaths. The county’s eight fatalities were as many as took place in counties Kerry and Meath, which had four each.

Three of the eight fatalities in Cork took place on a farm. Tipperary and Kerry also saw three farming deaths each, followed by counties Kilkenny, Mayo and Meath, which all recorded two each.

There were nine construction fatalities in 2016, down from 11 the previous year, while fishing deaths reduced to three, two fewer than in 2015. Across all sectors, accidents involving vehicles accounted for nearly half (20) of all fatalities in 2016.

The majority of work- related deaths (30) involved 25-65 year old males. However, there were nine men over 65 killed in the agriculture sector.

Over half (24) of the fatalities recorded involved self-employed persons, while 10 fatalities involved a foreigner. An eight-year-old girl who died on a farm was the only female fatality recorded on a workplace in 2016.

Overall, Mr O’Halloran said that the number of fatalities were the lowest since 2009.

“It is especially important that as the numbers at work increase, accident rates are moving in the opposite direction,” he said.

“Nevertheless we must not forget the many families that experienced devastation and tragedy in 2016.

“It was a time when they lost loved ones due to events that should have been prevented,” Mr O’Halloran said.