Farm Safety Vigilance Call
Minister Kelleher launches new Farm Safety Action Plan and addresses AgriWellness Seminar

A call for increased vigilance on farms was made today (Thursday 11th December) by Mr. Billy Kelleher T.D., Minister for Labour Affairs. The Minister made his appeal at the launch of a new Farm Safety Action Plan where he expressed concern at the substantial increase in the level of deaths occurring on farms this year. There have been 20 farm deaths reported to the Health and Safety Authority to date in 2008 compared to 11 for 2007.

“There has been a big increase in farm deaths this year and that is obviously very worrying. The new Farm Safety Action Plan is timely and has my full support. The goals set out are ambitious but I have every confidence that they will be achieved. The plan covers a period of four years from 2009 but work on it is already well underway.

The Minister continued

"Safe farming is about protecting life and limb - I would appeal to all farmers not to take chances when it comes to the safety, health and well-being of themselves and their families.”

Martin O’Halloran, Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Authority, indicated his concern at the low levels of compliance in the sector. He stated that the Authority would continue to work with Teagasc and other key farming organisations to promote the Authority’s farm safety code of practice.

“Teagasc have continued to provide training courses on how to use the farm safety code of practice and we would like to see more farmers attending those courses. I urge farmers to comply with the legislation and listen to the advice from ourselves, Teagasc and the other farming organisations. Farmers must put their safety, health and well-being at the heart of everything they do,” he said.

The new Farm Safety Action Plan sets out a four-year strategy to reduce the level of injury and occupational ill health among farmers. The plan outlines specific goals and actions to achieve these reductions and a range of farm organisations and state bodies with a role in farm injury and ill health prevention have given their full commitment to achieving the goals set.

Following the launch of the Farm Safety Action Plan, a seminar on Farm Injury Prevention and AgriWellness was held. It was organised jointly by the Health and Safety Authority and Teagasc as part of their joint Farm Safety and Health Prevention Initiative.

Mr. Tom Collins, Director of Operations with Teagasc, announced at the seminar that Teagasc and the Health and Safety Authority had agreed to jointly fund a Walsh Fellowship to study approaches to improving the occupational health profile of farmers with particular reference to reducing the high level of spinal injuries among farmers. The Walsh Fellowship will be conducted at UCD in the School of Physiotherapy and Performance Science.

Farm Safety Partnership Note

Established in February 2002, the Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee is a sub-committee of the Board of the Health and Safety Authority. It is made up of the following organisations:

• Health and Safety Authority
• Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
• Irish Farmers Association
• Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association
• Teagasc
• FBD Insurance
• Farm Relief Services (FRS) Network
• Macra na Feirme
• Farm Tractor & Machinery Traders Association
• Professional Agricultural Contractors of Ireland
• Irish Countrywomens Association
• Irish Rural Link
• Health Service Executive

Farm Safety Code of Practice Note

The Farm Safety Code of Practice was launched in September 2006. The Code is the result of a joint initiative between the Health and Safety Authority and the Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee to the Health and Safety Authority.

The aim of the Code is to improve the level of safety and health in the agriculture sector. In particular, the Code:

• examines the data available on fatalities, injuries and ill health in farming; and
• shows how such occurrences can be reduced.

Training in how to use the code is available through local Teagasc offices.

AgriWellness Seminar Note

Background on Dr Michael Rosmann - Dr Michael Rosmann is the Executive Director of AgriWellness, Incorporated, Iowa, USA a non-profit organisation that builds behavioral supports for the farming population. During his keynote address, Dr Rosmann stated that agriculture is a necessary and noble occupation. He also stated that farmers that are stressed are 2-3 times more likely to have an accident.

Additionally, Dr Rosmann serves the farming population as a clinical psychologist, manages his family farm near Harlan, and is an adjunct faculty member at the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa and is a former professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia. Dr Rosmann has devoted the last 28 years to working with agricultural populations to develop specialized agricultural behavioral supports.

At the seminar, Teagasc Researcher Mr. David Meredith revealed that a study of fatal farm injuries over the last 15 years revealed that

 the months of January and March are particularly high risk months accounting for 20% of all fatalities. He identified the high workloads during these months as a contributory factor to high accident levels. In January 62% of farm deaths are due to tractor and machinery operation mainly in the farmyard with slurry drowning, falls from roofs and animal attacks each accounting for 13 % of fatalities. Mr. Meredith stated that safety of older farmers merited particular attention in January as 62% of accident victims were over 65 years of age.

Also speaking at the seminar John McNamara - Teagasc Health and Safety Officer stated that just 5% of farmers sought health and safety advice and this is a major factor limiting progress with implementation of on-farm controls. He stated that Teagasc would be continuing its programme of providing half-day training courses on completion of the Farm Safety Code of Practice and would be including occupational Health and Safety in its on-farm advisory demonstrations and discussion groups during 2009.

Psychologist Patricia Murray of the Health and Safety Authority reflected on the pressures faced by farmers on a daily basis. Murray focused on how best to provide them with the tools to handle the many difficulties faced including physical, social and emotional demands along with isolation and lack of control. Murray stressed that we have to stop trying to ‘teach’ them and start helping them through active and inclusive programmes.