A recent Teagasc study has shown that 75 per cent of farmers regard farming as "dangerous" but only 25 per cent believed there were "any dangers" on their own farm.
Teagasc health and safety officer John McNamara said at the start of Farm Safety Week, which began yesterday, that only 28 per cent of farmers had completed the mandatory farm safety self-assessment document sent to all farmers.
He reminded farmers that their sector accounted for 30 per cent of fatal injuries in the workplace while just 6.5 per cent of the workforce was employed in it.
The Health and Safety Authority is stressing the risks on the farm for elderly people. Of the 14 people who died in accidents on Irish farms last year, seven were aged 65 or over.
So far this year, five people have died in accidents on farms, four of whom were aged over 65.
"It is deeply worrying that 80 per cent of those who have died in farm accidents this year are over the age of 65," said Minister of State for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen.
Minister for Agriculture and Food Mary Coughlan pointed out that 35 per cent of people worked alone on farms. She said it was tempting for elderly people working under pressure not to wait for assistance but to take a risk to save time.
Age Action Ireland said it was delighted that Farm Safety Week would focus on the safety of older people. "The work of the Health and Safety Authority in this promotion will be welcomed by older people and their families who work farms. Age Action hopes that the initiative will help reduce deaths and injuries, some of which may be due to careless practices," said Paul Murray of Age Action Ireland yesterday.
According to the chairman of the Health and Safety Authority, Jim Lyons, safety could be improved if farmers completed a self-assessment of their farms.
"There are too many needless deaths and injuries on farms. Farm families should use this week to help identify safety issues on their farms and address them immediately.
"Progress has been made but as yet only about 30 per cent of farmers have completed a self-assessment safety statement," Mr Lyons said.