The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) conducted approximately 577 inspections across the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector in the first four months of 2024, according to latest figures.

The inspections took place from January to May 17 and out of the 577 inspections that were conducted 41% subsequently received "written advice" from the HSA.

A further 4% in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector received an "improvement notice" which is a legal directive from an inspector requiring that "certain improvements" be carried out in a specified timeframe to comply with the law.

According to the HSA the most common reasons that an improvement notice may be issued include:

Equipment, machinery or vehicles and their parts not adequately maintained;
Entrances, exits, pathways obstructed;
Failure to appoint project supervisor construction sage on construction projects;
Failure to produce evidence of or satisfactory safety documentation such as safety statements, risk assessments, fire registers;
Lack of or inadequate traffic management plans;
Lack of or inadequate fall protection in place.

Out of the 577 inspections across the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector that were conducted in the first four months of 2024 1% of these received a prohibition notice from the HSA.

This is a legal instruction from the authority that directes that "a specified work activity be stopped due to the level of danger apparent in that activity during an inspection".

The HSA has outlined that the more common reasons for issuing prohibition notices include;

Inadequate scaffolding or Lack of edge protection on scaffolding,
Use of unsafe equipment or machinery or vehicles;
Lack of or inadequate fall protection;
Lack of controls for dust/asbestos;
Unsafe livestock handling practices.

In total the HSA conducted 3,673 inspections in the first four months of 2024 - the majority of these 745 were in the construction sector.

Meanwhile the HSA has confirmed that its latest national farm safety campaign, launched on May 7, is now closed.

This campaign focused on the safe use of tractors and other machinery and vehicles on the farm.

According to Pat Griffin, senior inspector with the HSA. one of the aims of the campaign was for inspectors to provide guidance to farmers "to help ensure tragedy doesn’t strike their farm".

"Prevention is always the best policy when it comes to farm safety," Griffin said.