IOSH reports HSA hopes farm inspection campaign will reduce accidents in Ireland
To date in 2017, in Ireland there have been six farm-related deaths, four of which involved tractors or machinery. This has led Ireland’s Health and Safety Authority (HSA) to launch an intensive campaign of inspections, with an expected 2,000 farms being covered, 1,400 of which will be during 3, three-week long periods.
Farmers will be encouraged to develop work plans and strategies to minimise risk, particularly in potential crush zones.
Pat Griffin, senior HSA inspector, told IOSH, “The movement of machinery, whether in the yard or in a field, can be hazardous and farmers need to be aware of the risks. Incidents of crushing someone against a building, a wall, a gate, or of farmers themselves being caught in crush zones are all too common.”
