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Beef up farmer safety training call by SIPTU

A SIPTU spokesman has said the agriculture sector should have safety training accreditation, similar to that which exists for construction sites.

Statistics from the Health and Safety Authority show 33 work-related deaths in 2024 – down from 43 in 2023.

Construction had five fatalities last year, down from five in 2023,

Farming deaths dropped 40% from 20 fatalities in 2023 to 12 last year.

Fatalities

Of the 33 fatalities in 2024, the self-employed accounted for 18.

Responding to the HSA report, John Regan, SIPTU's construction sector organiser, told RTÉ News that he believed that a safe pass system could help agriculture.

He said: "The reality is they don't have a safe-pass programme, and there is no formal training. And I would say that the organisations within the farming community need to start looking up in the safety programme, similar to the one that's in construction."

Employers in the construction sector are, by law, required to make sure their workers have completed a safe-pass course, which normally takes eight hours.

He said: "The reality is they don't have a safe PASS program, and there is no formal training. And I would say that the organisations within the farming community need to start looking up in the safety program, similar to the one that's in construction."

Employers in the construction sector are, by law, required to make sure their workers have completed a safe pass course which normally takes eight hours to complete.

The safe pass is valid for four years after which it must be repeated. The employer covers the cost of the safety training.