The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) has given its full support to the Farm Safety Foundation (FSF) in its efforts to change farming’s poor safety record.
Today (Monday, July 21), marks the first day of Farm Safety Week 2025, which is now in its thirteenth year.
HSENI, a member of the Farm Safety Partnership, said the message to the farming community has always been consistent: take extra care when working with animals, machinery, and moving vehicles.
HSENI
HSENI said that farmers, workers and farming families need to prioritise looking after their own health, safety and wellbeing to be fit and continue being involved in participating in the farm business.
This year’s Farm Safety Foundation objectives are:
- To continue challenging and changing the attitudes to risk-taking and working safely;
- Share evidence and real experiences of the past 13 years to remind audiences to take positive steps to improve their attitudes and behaviours;
- To highlight the importance of wearing PPE (personal protective equipment), especially eye protection, when carrying out a variety of farming tasks;
- To highlight the critical importance of safe operation of agricultural vehicles and, in particular, quad bikes;
- To celebrate the Farm Safety Heroes from each of our partner countries working to drive a positive change in the industry.
Speaking at the launch of Farm Safety Week, Robert Kidd, chief executive of HSENI said:
“Farming continues to have the poorest safety record of any industry in the UK and Ireland, but we have made significant strides in raising awareness and encouraging safer practices, particularly among the younger generation.
“Nevertheless, in this thirteenth year of our Farm Safety campaign, we’ll shine a light on less obvious, but equally critical, issues affecting the safety and wellbeing of those who live and work on farms.”
Kidd said HSENI are proud to support the annual Farm Safety Week campaign.
“Farming is more than a job, it is a way of life so keeping it safe is a responsibility we all share.
“Whether new to the industry or farming for years, we all have a role to play in improving the safety record within the farming community.
“There is no acceptable level of serious injuries or fatalities in farming, as each incident affects a family, a farm business and a local community,” he added.
As part of the new HSENI occupational health campaign, the authority will be highlighting key areas of concern in farming such as agricultural dust; skin cancer through over exposure to UV rays, and musculoskeletal disorders.
The Farm Safety Partnership also includes 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.
The partnership is tasked with assisting Northern Ireland’s farming community to work safely and tackle the problem of work-related fatalities and injuries on farms.
