A man has been killed in an accident on a farm in Northern Ireland.
The man, named locally as James Irwin, died on a farm in the Dungannon area of Co Tyrone. He was understood to be in his 30s and it is not clear whether he worked at the farm or was visiting when the tragedy happened.
Agriculture has one of the highest rates of fatal accidents at work each year. Farming businesses and indeed any business with land or property that is used by the public, need to make sure they are properly insured in case of accidents. Although having a public liability insurance is not demanded by the law, it makes good business sense as you could be sued for accidents that happen on your land or property.
In the case of the Dungannon farm death, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has been called in to investigate. No details of the accident or how Mr Irwin came to meet his death have yet been released.
A HSE spokeswoman told the Belfast Telegraph: added: "HSENI is investigating a fatal incident on a farm in the Dungannon area. Our thoughts are with the man's family at this most difficult time.”
Politicians from Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists paid tribute to the dead man.
Tom Elliott, Ulster Unionist MP for Fermanagh & South Tyrone, said: "Whilst the full details are not yet known, I understand that the young man was in his thirties and was planning to get married sometime in the near future.
"This tragedy illustrates that the agricultural industry carries a more significant risk than any other industry and behind these statistics is a story of a grieving family, a community in shock and the need to make farms safer places to work and live in.”
