The Health and Safety Authority will begin a two-week national inspection campaign on Monday 17 April with a focus on the safe use of tractors and quad bikes (All Terrain Vehicles – ATV) on farms.
A specific focus is being placed on tractors and quad bikes as they continue to be a leading cause of vehicle related fatality on Irish farms.
34 vehicle related deaths have taken place on Irish farms between 2018 and last year.
18 of the deaths involved tractors and 4 involved quad bikes. Of the 4 quad bike related fatalities, 2 involved children and 2 involved people over 60.
New safety regulations are to come into effect in November of this year in respect of using quad bikes. Training and Personal Protective Equipment when using a quad bike for work purposes is a new requirement which has been deemed necessary to reduce the number of serious injuries and fatalities.
The coming inspections will also be sued to encourage farmers and contractors to take time to plan for the safe use of tractors and machinery ahead of the busy silage harvesting season.
