The Health and Safety Executive of Northern Ireland (HSENI) has launched a campaign with the aim of cutting the number of farm accidents in Northern Ireland, after recent data revealed 42 people had been killed in farming accidents in the last five years.

HSENI officials will make safety visits to farms in Northern Ireland between November and March as part of the Stay Farm Safe initiative to address safety issues, with a focus on high-risk areas including slurry, dealing with animals, working at heights and with heavy equipment. These four high-risk elements of farming work have been termed SAFE (slurry, animals, falls and equipment) by HSNEI.

The agency will be delivering health and safety packs to farmers and their families over the course of its visits. The new initiative, which hopes to conduct 1,000 farm safety visits over the next six months, has been supported by the Ulster Farmers’ Union and the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development.

Farming groups have said the number of work related injuries and fatalities in the farming sector is unacceptable and have pledged to continue working with the NSNEI to cut the numbers. Throughout the UK as a whole, farming is considered the second most dangerous industry.

The dubious honour is due to the remote working conditions, long hours and unpredictable elements farm work entails, as well as the increasing age of the farming demographic. Figures from Northern Ireland show that Statistics show animals, falls and farm equipment, including vehicles, were each responsible for 27 percent of work related injuries and deaths, whilst slurry was responsible for 15 percent.

The campaign was launched this week by rugby players Rory and Simon Best, two brothers who hosted a farm walk at their County Down farm. Simon said, "As a working farmer myself, I understand the difficult circumstances and challenges involved in getting on with the job, so I'm pleased to be able to support HSENI in its efforts to raise awareness and ramp up the farm safety message. Too many lives are being lost in the industry and too many farmers are being seriously injured whilst carrying out what are often routine everyday tasks."

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