Farmers turn blind eye to safety

MOST farmers are still turning a blind eye to safety regulations even though, in the last 10 years, there were more than 200 deaths on farms, it was claimed yesterday.

More than 90% of farms are failing to comply with their legal obligations under the Health and Safety Act, a senior Teagasc specialist said.

Frank Laffey , who heads a Farm Safety Action Group, said less than 10% of farms maintain a workplace safety statement, one of the most basic health and safety requirements.

The safety statement is a requirement under the 1989 health and safety legislation. “It’s a basic tool which also measures compliance with the regulations and it underlines farmers’ attitudes to safety,” Mr Laffey said. Shocking statistics show one-third of workplace accidents occur in the agriculture sector which accounts for just 7.5% of the workforce.

In advance of Farm Safety Week, which starts next Monday, the action group plans to launch a five-year plan radically to reduce farm fatalities.

Over the last decade, 43 children died on farms.

Mr Laffey, the National Farm Safety Specialist with Teagasc, said: “Our studies show that 75% of farmers recognise they operate in a dangerous workplace, but 75% of farmers also tell us their specific workplace is not dangerous. Farm safety is not a question of money but a question of attitude. Accidents can happen, we all accept that, but farm accidents are the most predictable.

“Every year, there are going to be three or four deaths from slurry tragedies, three or four people being gored by animals and a similar number killed by farm machinery.

“Throwing money at farmers to increase safety is not the sole solution,” he said. “With a change of attitude, alone, farm safety could be increased by 70%-80%.”

Health and Safety Authority (HSA) inspectors discovered compliance with workplace safety statements on farms ranged between 13.5% and 18% from 1999 to 2001. Unofficial figures show a slump to less than 10% for 2002.

Chief executive of the HSA Tom Beegan said the authority remained concerned about the high rates of death and serious injury on farms. However, he was convinced the Farm Safety Action Group, which has the support of all agri-related state agencies and organisations, will produce tangible results in the next five years.