Farmers across the country are being urged to take extra care this year after farming was once again named as Ireland’s deadliest job.
Being a fisherman out on the Bering Sea, or any body of water for that matter, is usually assumed to be one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, but according to new figures released by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) farming is the most dangerous job in Ireland.
The end-of-year figures show that 47 people lost their lives in workplace accidents last year, 21 of which were in the agriculture sector alone. It’s hoped that the startling figure will make farmers wise up to the added, often unseen dangers of their job.
Farming was also the most dangerous occupation in 2011 as 54 people lost their lives in the workplace with 21 people dying in farm related accidents that year.
With no change in the number of farming tragedies over the past two years, the Irish Farmers Association hopes that farmers will now put safety on the top of their agenda.
