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Safety first, last, and always

Michael Healy-Rae has held the position of Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Forestry, Farm Safety and Horticulture, for about nine months. In that time, it is fair to say that he has prioritised the forestry and farm safety remits of his portfolio. Matt O’Keeffe highlights some of the recent farm-safety messages and initiatives involving the Kerry TD
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon; James Claffey, Irish Rural Link; Alma Jordan, Agrikids and Minister of State for Forestry, Farm Safety and Horticulture, Michael Healy-Rae at the awarding of the tenders for children’s farm safety awareness initiatives at the National Ploughing Championships 2025.

Minister-Rae participated in a panel discussion at the Social, Economic Environmental Forestry Association of Ireland’s (SEEFA’s) Forestry Hub at the National Ploughing Championships. In a departure from talking about forestry alone at the SEEFA-hosted discussion, the minister broadened the theme to include farm safety. He spoke of the example that the forestry sector has set when it comes to upping the safety stakes and seeing the rewards. “I applaud the forestry companies in their operations. The contractors out on the ground organise their operations in a safe manner. In other areas, we have not had the same high safety record. As of the end of September, there have been 16 confirmed farm fatalities this year. The horror of what happens in a farm accident cannot be overstated. The same as in forestry, everyone taking on a task on a farm needs to ensure that they have the capabilities, training, proper equipment and correct safety protocols in place before they begin.”

Correct use of chainsaw – HSA

If you intend to operate a chainsaw at work, you must ensure that:

  • A risk assessment on the task to be undertaken is carried out before commencing the work.
  • You are not working on your own (you should have someone working with you or near you checking in on you at regular intervals).
  • You are competent and have successfully completed a chainsaw training course including an assessment suitable for the type of chainsaw work planned.
  • You wear the personal protective equipment necessary for chainsaw work activities.
  • Any person working for you in connection with chainsaw use and tree-felling work activities are also competent and wearing appropriate personal protective equipment.
  • The chainsaw is suitable for the work involved and properly maintained.

Chainsaws

The minister homed in on a particular example – the chainsaw – which is a staple on most farms and is a piece of equipment that deserves respect when choosing it and using it. In the forestry sector, this is already understood where using the correct standard of equipment is a given. In the farming sector, perhaps not as much. “Buying a cheap chainsaw is a false economy. I can’t give the name of where you can buy a chainsaw for €120 but what I will say is that you should fire it into the nearest hole because it’s rubbish.”

Minister Healy-Rae also referenced the incidence of non-fatal accidents on farms, citing an example of a farmer who suffered severe hand injuries while operating a hydraulic tractor top-link: “No matter how much you know about farm machinery, no matter how experienced you are, whether it is in handling animals or machinery, always be very safety conscious in everything you are doing on a farm. Sometimes the best job you ever did, is the job you never did at all. It can be better for everyone if you either get a professional to do the job or wait until you have help and the proper equipment to carry out the job safely.”

Data from the Teagasc National Farm Survey has shown that about 4,500 farm accidents occur on farms each year, with 44 per cent putting the victim out of work for at least four days. Furthermore, some 80 per cent of these farm accidents required medical treatment, with 46 per cent of victims attending hospital, a further 18 per cent a doctor and 16 per cent requiring first aid.

Financial support

In Budget 2026, Minister Healy-Rae confirmed that funding of €3m had been secured for farm safety, health and wellbeing initiatives: “It will enable my department to continue existing programmes and to develop new evidence-led initiatives to improve farm safety and support the health and wellbeing of our farming community. It will also enable my department to work with stakeholders to deliver initiatives which make a real difference to the lives of farmers and the wider farming community.”
The budget allocation towards farm safety comes as all-island statistics from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and its northern counterpart, the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSE NI) show that in one specific area alone, that of working at heights, the number of fatalities on farms is unacceptably high.
Across the 32 counties of Ireland over the last 10 years, the latest statistics show there were 37 fatalities on farms as a result of falling from a height. Common hazards include falls from ladders, unprotected roof edges, falling from or with stacked bales, and falling through fragile roof materials, particularly on farms where aging structures are still in use. There is to be renewed emphasis by safety inspectors on this specific area of farm safety with inspectors in the agriculture sector focusing on compliance with the legal requirements for working at height, according to the HSA.
These include safe systems of work for any height-related activity, the use of proper equipment such as mobile elevated work platforms, or secured platforms, ensuring safe stacking and handling of bales, encouraging farmers to engage competent contractors for high-risk tasks, and promoting awareness around fragile roofs and proper construction appointments.

Last month, the HSA and the HSE NI jointly conducted a month-long safety campaign targeting falls from height in the construction and farming sectors. On the island of Ireland in the last 10 years, in addition to the 37 farming-related fatalities, there were 70 fatalities in the construction industry as a result of falling from height. Commenting, Adrienne Duff, assistant chief executive, HSA, said: “Falls are entirely preventable, and everyone deserves to return home from work safely and unharmed. This campaign aims to raise awareness and drive home the message that taking shortcuts or carrying out work without due regard to the risks involved is not an option. Work must be planned and controls put in place to prevent a fall from height.”

Doing it for the kids

Recently, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon and Minster Michael Healy-Rae announced the awarding of tenders for the provision of farm safety awareness initiatives for children. Two projects were selected for total funding of €152,041. Irish Rural Link’s AgriKids – Farm Safety Ambassador Programme was selected to promote farm safety awareness among primary school pupils, while FRS Training Society Ltd’s Farm Safety Awareness Training Programme was selected to promote farm safety awareness among second-level students. Minister Healy-Rae said the initiatives will help address children’s and young person’s safety on Irish farms by assisting teachers in educating their students about the potential dangers associated with farming and agriculture. “Parents and grandparents also play an important role in influencing children’s attitudes to farm safety. I am urging them to support these projects and to become farm safety role models for our young people. It is by observing adults implementing best practice when it comes to farm safety, that our young people will also adopt a safety conscious approach to farming.”

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