Farmers told to put safety first 'or be the next statistic'

Farmers have been warned they must be safety aware or risk becoming the next statistic, as national Farm Safety Week gets under way today.

The stark warning comes after experts raised concerns that the agriculture sector may be on track for as many as 30 lives lost this year.

"The statistics are stark, but statistics don't give the whole story - they don't tell you about the devastating impact a farm fatality has on families and communities; they don't tell you the impact a farm accident can have on the rest of your life, on your ability to run the farm," said the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) president Joe Healy, as the body behind the Farm Safety Week.

"Farm Safety Week is about confronting farmers with the realities behind the statistics, making them realise that they could, in fact, be the next statistic unless they take safety measures."

Figures from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) show farming continues to have one of the worst safety records of any sector.

Fourteen people have lost their lives so far in 2017.