Northern Ireland Safety Body To Make Unannounced Inspections On Farm Vehicles

News in brief: The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) will start conducting unannounced workplace inspections on farms to reduce fatal accidents, especially those involving vehicles and machinery.

The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) has disclosed that it will begin making unannounced workplace inspections on farms to reduce fatal accidents.

Principal Inspector for agriculture and food, Camilla Mackey, said that ensuring the safety of farmers and families was top priority. Data reveals that no fewer than 17 people have died in the past decade in incidents on farms involving vehicles and machinery. The body emphasised the need for safety, arguing that every fatal incident on a farm in Northern Ireland was preventable.

Meanwhile, Mackey stated that workplace transport is a key cause of accidents in any workplace across Northern Ireland and the routine unannounced visits will be to conduct vehicle safety checks.

She adds that she expects the inspections to keep people safe, as they would be carrying out spot checks on vehicles, making inquiry about things like training and general farm inspections in the process.

The inspector stressed that the campaign was as much about education as enforcement. She added that the scheme will be focusing on workplace transport in three specific risk areas; safe site, safe vehicle and safe driver. HSENI's inspections will run till March 2024.

The development comes on the heel of a July 27 fatal quad bike crash on a farm in County Tyrone involving a farmer in his 60’s named David Vance which the organisation is still investigating.