HSA issues urgent safety reminder to farmers during busy silage season

Friday 23rd May 2025

Between 2015 and 2024, almost half of the 171 fatalities in the farming sector involved tractors, vehicles and machinery

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

Tractor and machinery use accounted for almost half of all farm-related deaths in the ten year period from 2015 to 2024 with 79 people killed, 12 of whom were children. Silage work involves the use of heavy machinery so the message from the HSA 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,”

said Ger Hartnett, Senior Inspector with the Health and Safety Authority.

"Serious, life changing injuries and fatalities can be prevented if farmers and contractors plan all work in advance, implement critical safety measures without exception, and treat safety as the number one priority”.

Hartnett added,

“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.”

HSA Farm Safety Checklist

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.  Farmers and contractors need to consider the following questions ahead of silage season:

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

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.

Farmers should start by reviewing their Farm Safety Code of Practice, particularly the “Harvesting” and “Tractors/Farm Vehicles/Machinery” risk assessment pages or use the free Farm Safety Risk Assessment tool online at www.farmsafely.com.

For further information on farm safety visit www.hsa.ie/farmsafety.  To complete a farm risk assessment visit www.farmsafely.com.  To complete an Agricultural Contractor Risk Assessment visit www.besmart.ie.