News & Info

Senior Inspector with the Health and Safety Authority, Pat Griffin, said of the safety campaign:

“We’re running this campaign to remind farmers of the need to plan ahead for the safe use of tractors and machinery during the busy silage harvesting season. Farmers must ensure all workers and contractors involved in silage harvesting have the necessary training and competence to do the job safely. Prevention is always the best policy when it comes to farm safety.”

Paul Tracey, Managing Partner at Tracey Solicitors LLP echoed this sentiment, stating the importance of preventing accidents in the workplace.

“A high percentage of the workplace and farm accidents we see could have been prevented had the appropriate procedures been in place and followed correctly. These accidents can have life-long effects, so the importance of training and compliance with safety guidelines cannot be understated.”

According to the HSA, farm machinery and vehicles including tractors, teleporters, loaders, and quad bikes, were the number one cause of fatalities on Irish farms over the last 10 years (2014 – 2023).

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

The HSA Farm Safety Campaign advises farmers to consider the following:

• Has the work activity been risk assessed and planned in advance?
• Have all drivers or operators received adequate instruction and training?
• Are excessive working hours and fatigue managed?
• Are brakes, handbrakes or parking brakes working properly?
• Are cabs and doors in good condition?
• Are tractor mirrors clean, in good condition and set correctly?
• Do all operators of vehicles have the correct personal protective equipment (PPE)?
• Has the farmyard and silage pit area been designated as a no-go area for pedestrians while machinery is operating?
• Is work organised to avoid the presence of young children or other vulnerable individuals such as elderly family members?

For further information in relation to tractor and machinery safety on farms and a wide range of other farm safety topics, visit hsa.ie/farmsafety.

If you have been involved in an accident on a farm that was not your fault, speak with one of our farm accident claims solicitors as soon as possible. Contact us on 01 649 9900 or email us on ask@traceysolicitors.ie to tell us about your case.