Strategic Alliances
The Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee was established to involve all the industry stakeholders in the task of improving occupational safety and health in Agriculture.
The work of the partnership is set out in the Farm Safety Action Plan 2009-2012 and has within its terms of reference:
"to identify and prioritise the key issues related to improving safety on farms"
"to develop a national action programme, coordinating the actions of the representative organisations and assigning tasks"
Target areas
The targets in the plan covered six broad areas:
- Reducing farm accidents and fatalities
- Provision of training
- More farm inspections
- Developing databases on accidents
- Researching health and safety concerns
- Promoting a greater awareness of health and safety among farmers
This advisory committee to the Health and Safety Authority meets at least four times a year and supports and coordinates the majority of research and promotional activities in relation to farm safety.
Subcommittees are formed to undertake critical research projects or manage major events.
HSA – Teagasc Joint Initiative
Teagasc and the Health and Safety Authority have established a Joint Prevention Initiative to:
- Develop, implement and evaluate the Agriculture Code of Practice
- Establish and deliver half day training courses for farmers on completing the Agriculture Code of Practice
- Organisation of National seminars/conferences on Farm Safety and Health
- Organisation of joint Research projects on aspects of Farm Safety and Health
HSA & ESB Networks.
For many years the H.S.A and the ESB have worked together on workplace safety issues, particularly on workplace safety as affected by ESB supply. The two organisations have coordinated their stands at the National Ploughing Championships and recently prepared guidance on the safety of overhead lines in agriculture. There are numerous examples of coordinated work between the HSA and the ESB.
The HSA and ESB Networks have had a series of meetings since 2005 to enhance awareness of the risks posed by overhead power lines to farmers and agricultural contractors. This has lead to a joint publicity drive to reduce the instances of hits by agricultural machinery on overhead power lines thus reducing the risk of death and injury arising from this source.
Fig 3 Joint ESB-HSA Newspaper Ad
In addition the video below was produced by the Alliance to highlight danger of contact with overhead lines.