A two-week farm safety inspection campaign by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) will begin on Monday 27 January.

The campaign will focus on the safe management of livestock during calving season when the risk of injury to farmers increases significantly.

In the last 10 years, 171 people have died in farming-related work in Ireland, 36 of which involved livestock. Darren Arkins, HSA programme manager said that farming can be a hazardous working environment.

“We see from our recent review of fatal statistics that working with livestock continues to be a significant trigger in work-related fatalities on farms.

“Therefore, during calving season, it is critical to ensure risk assessments are carried out and appropriate safety controls are implemented to ensure you are safe during the busy calving season.”

Safety controls

The HSA has warned that many farmers suffer serious or fatal injuries while attending cows at calving time with tasks such as taking a newborn calf from a cow, navel dipping, and stomach tubing posing an injury risk.

In addition, farmers are advised to not work while fatigued with long hours and prolonged nights increasing the risk of accidents.

“Since 2020, 70% of livestock-related occupational deaths were to people aged over 65 years,” added Arkins.