Two week farm vehicle inspection campaign underway

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) commenced a two week national inspection campaign this week, with a focus on the safe use of tractors and quad bikes (ATVs) on farms.

The HSA remains concerned with safety issues around farm vehicles and in the five year period 2018 to 2022, there were a total of 34 vehicle related fatalities on Irish farms. A specific focus is being placed on tractors and quad bikes (ATVs) as they continue to be a leading cause of vehicle related fatality on Irish farms.

Of the 34 vehicle related fatalities 18 involved tractors and 4 involved quad bikes (ATVs). And of the 4 quad bike (ATV) related fatalities, 2 involved children and 2 involved people over 60. Of the 18 farm fatalities involving tractors, 10 involved people aged 65 or over.

NEW ATV REGULATIONS

The current Farm Safety Action plan was published by the HSA, in partnership with Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee to cover 2021- 2024 and focuses on safety critical areas on farms. The new plan places a particular focus on high-risk activities, particularly tractors, ATVs and general vehicle use. The requirement for training and PPE when using an ATV for work purposes is a new requirement, which has been deemed necessary to reduce the number of serious injuries and fatalities resulting from their use, particularly on farms.

The new regulations, which apply to all workplaces, comes into force in November 2023 and HSA Inspectors during this campaign will be offering guidance to farmers on ensuring compliance in advance of the November deadline.

‘HARVEST CHECKLIST’

According to Pat Griffin, Senior Inspector with the Health and Safety Authority, “We’re running this inspection campaign primarily to encourage farmers to take time to plan for the safe use of tractors and machinery ahead of the busy silage harvesting season. We urge famers to plan ahead and make sure all involved in silage harvesting, all workers and contractors, have the necessary training and competence to do the job safely”.

The majority of injuries and fatalities with tractors, ATVs or farm machinery involve a combination of operator error, poor maintenance procedures and a lack of training, combined with the presence of children/ elderly near the work activity.

Mr Griffin added, “We are asking all farmers and contractors, before the silage season starts, to complete the dedicated ‘ Harvesting checklist’ in the new Farm Risk Assessment document to help identify any necessary improvements. Serious injuries or further deaths can be prevented if farmers carry out this risk assessment, plan their work in advance, ensure important precautions are taken and remember to keep people and vehicles separate to ensure safety”.

The dedicated ‘ Harvesting checklist’ risk assessment can be found on pages 17 to 19 in the Farm Risk Assessment Document on the HSA website (www.HSA.ie). The site also contains further information in relation to tractor and machinery safety on farms and a wide range of other farm safety topics.

To undertake the online risk assessment visit www.farmsafely. com