Results of new farm safety survey are encouraging but more needs to be done says Farm Safety Partnership
Date published:
More farmers are following safer work practices according to new figures released today by DAERA and the Farm Safety Partnership (FSP).
The findings from the 2023 Farm Safety Survey also revealed 90 per cent of farmers reported they had no minor injuries or near misses on the farm in the previous 12 months.
DAERA Minister Andrew Muir welcomed the statistics saying they were useful to help understand further the risks.
“These farm safety figures are vital to help us understand the scale and nature of the risks farmers are facing and the barriers preventing improvements to keep themselves, their workers and families safe.
“They also help us shape our policies and develop targeted practical measures to protect lives. Our goal is to use them to improve standards and save lives on our farms,” he said.
Bryan Monson, Deputy Chief Executive of the HSENI, and vice-chair of the FSP, welcomed the findings but said more still needs to be done to keep farmers safe.
“We’re very encouraged by the figures that show fewer farmers never carry a child in a tractor, work with a loose bull, or remain beside an underground slurry tank while slurry was mixing. However, farming remains one of our most dangerous sectors with too many farmers still being injured or killed in what are preventable accidents.
“Worryingly, the statistics also show more farmers are suffering injuries that require medical attention and that they are taking longer off work as a result, possibly indicating an increase in the severity of the injuries,” he said.
Other findings included:
- one in ten (10 per cent) experienced a minor injury and/or a near miss in the previous 12 months
- two per cent of farmers reported an accident that required medical attention with 48 per cent suffering a fracture and 29 per cent a laceration
- some 27 per cent of those injured took more than 30 days off work compared to 16 per cent in 20219
- less than half (45 per cent) of those who had an accident did not require any time off work to recover
- the main causes of accidents were being hit by an animal (33 per cent) and slips at ground level (20 per cent)
The findings also revealed that 75 per cent of farmers identified being hit or trampled by an animal as a hazard they are most concerned about while 71 per cent are worried about slipping or tripping.
Barriers to working safely included cost (77 per cent) followed by time pressures from farm work (48 per cent) or employment outside the farm (32 per cent).
Bryan said farmers need to make safety a priority. “I’d urge our farmers to take time each day, with every task, to stop, think and plan when working with machinery, livestock or carrying out maintenance.
“Our Stop and Think SAFE campaign is a simple but powerful message that reflects the four main causes of fatal accidents on local farms - slurry, animals falls from height and equipment. We know time and costs pressures are real but keeping yourself safe is not optional - it must come first to protect lives, families and livelihoods,” he added.
The full findings can be viewed and downloaded at:
Notes to editors :
- The 2023 Farm Safety Survey is carried out by DAERA and is aimed at enhancing the statistical evidence base available to the Farm Safety Partnership (FSP), and all associated stakeholders with an interest in reducing the number and prevalence of farm accidents in Northern Ireland (NI). Previous surveys were carried out in 2015 and 2019.
- The Farm Safety Partnership comprises the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), NFU Mutual (NFUM), the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster (YFCU), The Farm Safety Foundation (FSF), the Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers Association (NIAPA) and Rural Support. It is tasked with assisting Northern Ireland’s farming community to work safely and tackle the problem of work-related fatalities and injuries on farms.
- The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) is an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body, sponsored by the Department for the Economy (DfE).
- HSENI is the lead body responsible for the promotion and enforcement of health and safety at work standards in Northern Ireland.
- For media enquiries please contact HSENI Press Office on 028 9024 3249 or email media@hseni.gov.uk. For out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer on 028 9037 8110.