Four dead on farms since mid November

Minister for Employment and Small Business, Pat Breen, this week told farmers at a safety walk in Clare, that no other employment sector in the country was experiencing such a loss of life.

“It is greatly concerning to me that so many families are losing loved ones due to work activity. I would appeal to farmers to take some time to consider the risks in every job they do and to work out a plan to manage the hazards before they start work,” said Minister Breen.

Professor Jim Phelan, Chair of the Farm Safety Partnership said that while farmers were receptive to the message that safety is vital, this needed to manifest itself in their approach to work.

“Safety is not something you just talk about – it is something you must build into your work every day,” said Professor Phelan.

John McNamara, National Health and Safety Specialist with Teagasc said that practical events such as farm walks and knowledge transfer groups were an integral approach of the farm advisory body dealing with the whole issue of farm safety.

Galway IFA Chairman, Pat Murphy, also appealed to all farmers to take a few minutes out each day to review safety procedures on their farms and to identify high risk areas.

“For example, I don’t think I know a farmer with a quad who hasn’t some kind of near miss with them. These are very dangerous little machines and this is just one potential killer on a farm.

“Think twice before deciding to go onto a roof to carry out repairs – in a split-second, a farmer can have a fall that can cause death of serious injury. Is there a way, for example, that calving cows can be handled in a safer pen?

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.