The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is today (Friday, May 23) urging farmers and their contractors to ensure safety is paramount for every aspect of the silage harvesting season.

Tractor and machinery use accounted for almost half of all farm-related deaths from 2015 to 2024.

During that 10-year period, the HSA noted that 79 people were killed, 12 of whom were children.

As silage work involves the use of heavy machinery, the authority said its message is to plan ahead and prioritise safety at all times.

Contractors must ensure that they undertake a risk assessment for all work activity, and share and discuss the accompanying safety statement with all workers.

“We’re urging all farmers and contractors to plan for a safe silage season,” Ger Hartnett, senior inspector with the Health and Safety Authority, said.

“In addition, children must be kept well away from all work activity. Farmers and contractors must conduct a thorough review of their risk assessments, paying special attention to any potential hazards associated with machinery during silage operations," Hartnett added.

According to the HSA, the majority of fatalities with tractors and farm machinery involve a combination of poor planning, operator error, lack of training, maintenance issues or the presence of children/elderly near work activity.

The authority said that farmers and contractors need to consider the following questions ahead of silage season:

Has the work activity been planned in advance?
Are all operators trained, competent and fit for work?
Are handbrakes or parking brakes working properly?
Are cabs and doors in good condition?
Are tractor mirrors cleaned, set, and maintained correctly?
Is work organised to avoid the presence of young children or other vulnerable individuals, such as elderly family members?
Are traffic flows and limits on silage pit heights agreed?
Is operator-fatigue monitored and managed, particularly as the season continues?

The HSA said that farmers and contractors must check that all tractors and machinery are suitable for the job and properly maintained, paying particular attention to brakes, steering, hitching of trailers, and ensuring good driver visibility.

"It is important to ensure that all tractor and machinery operators are skilled and competent, and that they know and understand the system and workflow to be used that puts everyone’s safety first," the authority said.