Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Health and Safety Authority currently has 39 full time equivalent inspectors available to deliver the Authority’s occupational safety and health inspection programme. Of these, 24 inspectors will be involved in delivering the Authority’s farm inspection programme and promotion campaigns during 2019.

In 2017 the HSA undertook a recruitment campaign for 11 Inspector posts, 6 of which were for field inspection posts. These 6 Inspectors were involved in farm inspection campaigns during 2018 and were in addition to the existing cohort of 18 inspectors involved in farm inspections and farm safety campaigns.

In 2018, the HSA recruited 7 new field inspector posts of which 5 new inspector posts will be assigned to general inspection activities during 2019. Two of these posts will be involved in the delivery of the Authority’s farm inspection and farm safety promotion campaigns.

While farm inspection remains an important part of the Authority’s overall approach to improving safety standards on farms research has shown that, due to the size and nature of the sector, other methods of engagement with the farming sector are also highly valuable in bringing about sustainable and positive change to work practices on the farm.

Initiatives such as Knowledge Transfer Groups, Farm Walks, presentations and training to stakeholder groups as well as presentations and training to Agricultural students, the development and dissemination of information and guidance are all helping farmers to utilise new information, new procedures and practices and new technology to bring about safe and lasting changes in the way they farm.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 134 together.

Information on the amount spent by the Health and Safety Authority on farm safety initiatives, the number of inspections, the number of fatalities and the percentage of farm fatalities out of total workplace fatalities for the years 2016 to 2018 are set out in the attached Tables.

Final expenditure is broadly in line with original estimated expenditure for the years in question. However, estimated expenditure across all mandates of the Health and Safety Authority can be subject to change where unexpected circumstances arise which might require a re-prioritisation of available funding.

In respect of 2019 the Health and Safety Authority has estimated an expenditure of approximately €500,000 on specific agricultural sector initiatives throughout the year. The Authority will monitor this budget and will adjust it accordingly where priority matters arise in the agriculture sector.

Overall workplace fatality figures show that 37 people were killed in work related accidents in 2018 which is a decline of 23% on 2017 and the lowest figure since the establishment of the Health and Safety Authority in 1989.

The farming sector, which has consistently been the most dangerous sector in which to work, had 15 work related deaths in 2018 compared to 25 in 2017, a decline of 40%. While this decline of 40% is very welcome, 15 fatalities is still very high for a sector that employs just 6% of the workforce.

The overall fatal accident rate of 1.6 deaths per 100,000 workers is also now at an all-time low. This fatality rate of 1.6 deaths per 100,000 workers is particularly significant given it was as high as 6.4 per 100,000 workers in the early 1990’s. Due to the efforts of Government and the Health and Safety Authority along with employers, employees and key stakeholders there has been a huge improvement in health and safety standards since then.

However, with 37 people losing their lives in work related activity in 2018 there is clearly still more to be done. Against a backdrop of a thriving economy with thousands of new workers joining the workforce each month and challenges ahead such as Brexit and a skills shortage in certain sectors it is vital that worker health and safety stays on the priority list of all businesses. This is to protect the lives and health of workers and, also, to protect the viability and competitiveness of businesses themselves.

Expenditure on Farm Safety Initiatives 2016 to 2018

*Note: Annual figures for expenditure include some cross-sectoral initiatives where the expenditure is also relevant to other sectors. As it is not possible to extract this, it has been included as the full figure

Farm inspections and investigations 2016 – 2018

Farm fatalities as a percentage of total deaths across all sectors 2016 – 2018

Note: the classification of fatalities may be subject to change as additional information becomes available. This can result in the overall fatality total changing, as well as the sectoral fatality totals in due course.