02 September 2024

Watch: Safely managing on-farm construction and farm maintenance projects

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has today, September 2, launched a two-week nationwide inspection campaign focusing on working at height in agricultural settings.

The below video, produced by Teagasc health and safety specialist advisors in association with FBD Insurance and the Farm Safety Partnership advisory committee to the Health and Safety Authority, focuses on approaches to safely manage on-farm construction and farm maintenance projects. It’s an excellent resource to help farmers understand their responsibilities associated with management of safety during farm construction, or work at height.

Ensuring safety when working at height is of paramount importance, as the HSA reports that over the last 10 years, there were 98 fatalities as a result of falls from height in Irish workplaces of which 20 were on Irish farms.

Watch the Farm Construction / Work at Height Safety Video below:

The inspection campaign

The HSA campaign will target both small and large farms nationwide. The HSA notes the main hazards when working at height are falls from ladders unprotected edges of roofs or other structures, and falls through fragile roof materials.

If working on a roof, the HSA advises, farmers need to assess the roof to see if it could potentially be fragile, if it cannot support the weight of a person or where part or all of a roof can easily be broken or shattered.

HSA inspectors, during their farm visits, will be advising duty holders and farmers to:

• Carry out risk assessments in advance of any work from height, and
• To plan a safe system of work and the use of appropriate machinery such as a MEWP (Mobile Elevated Work Platform) or putting in place adequate working platform(s), adequate edge protection and other measures to prevent falls from height.

Darren Arkins, Programme Manager, HSA, said farmers need to be aware of the risks of working at height and plan ahead before undertaking the work stating: “A fall from a height can lead to a very serious life changing injury or even death.

“Taking shortcuts or carrying out work without due regard to the risks involved is not an option for any person working at height on a farm. Unfortunately, there have been 20 fatalities in the last 10 years relating to working at height on farms. These can all be prevented by planning the work and taking the right precautions.”

For more information on the HSA working at a height in agricultural settings inspection campaign, visit the HSA website.