Deaths from farm accidents fell to 18 last year, down by 40% on the record 30 fatalities of 2014. Nonetheless, farming is still the most dangerous occupation in Ireland, for the sixth year in a row. Farming accounted for all of the four child fatalities that occurred last year.

According to the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), the biggest cause of deaths was machinery accidents – see pie chart.

The HSA gave details of all farm accidents. In one case, a slurry tanker rolled down a bank and crushed the farmer driver against a shed wall. One elderly farmer was feeding cattle when the tractor rolled back, pinning him under the rear wheel. He was found the next day after midday and brought to hospital but died of his injuries.

Control

A farm employee lost control of the tractor and silage trailer he was driving, was thrown from the cab and killed. One farmer became entangled in a topper, another in the conveyor of a potato grader. Three people fell through or off a shed roof while another died after falling from a ladder.

Two people died after being attacked by recently calved suckler cows; one person was gored by a bull while another man who was helping at a herd test fell and struck his head on the ground and subsequently died.

Four of the victims were aged under, 18 while five were aged 65 or more. Two of the deceased were women, the remainder men or boys. County Cork had three fatalities, while Galway, Monaghan and Wexford suffered two each.

Martin O’Halloran, chief executive of the HSA, said that the level of farm safety awareness has never been higher, and the challenge now is to ensure that this translates into changes in behaviour and fewer accidents again in 2016.

He said that along with the usual focus on the causes of accidents, this year will also see an emphasis on farmer health and wellbeing.

“We will continue to direct resources to inspections and discussion groups but issues such as stress are now considered to be major contributory factors in accidents. We will begin a number of programmes this year to address this issue.”

Listen to our podcast below to hear the story of tillage farmer Michael O'Brien, who survived a farm accident: