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The storms over the past two weeks resulted in the deaths of two people on Irish farms; one in Co Wicklow and one in Cork.
Both deaths resulted from farmers falling from a height.
In total, of the 21 people killed due to farm accidents to date in 2017, “three of them were as the result of falls from height or falling objects”.
As a direct consequence, the HSA said it will carry out 500 inspections in November in attempt to prevent similar accidents and deaths on farms.
The HSA said inspections “will be encouraging farmers to ensure they have the right equipment and knowledge to work at height safely”.
Pat Griffin, senior inspector with the HSA, says that work on or near roofs can be adapted to make it safer.
“Most agricultural roofs are made from fragile materials such as galvanised sheeting or Perspex and working on these is extremely risky and should be avoided if possible.
"We are urging farmers to find ways to replace roof fixings from underneath using work platforms. If the work can’t be done from underneath, use a mobile elevated work platform that allows access without having to stand on the roof itself.
"Also ladders, if used, must be tied or footed, to avoid slipping, and should only be used for a short duration.”
Pat Griffin added that items stored at height can be a danger as well.
“We also want to highlight the dangers of falling objects such as bales and bagged silage. These items are sometimes stored at height and it is important that they are properly stacked to avoid them falling and causing crush injuries.”
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