July is deadliest month on Irish farms with fatigue a big factor in accidents
WE’RE half-way through it but farmers have been warned to ‘stay on guard’ during July – the big ‘killer month’ on Irish farms.
The latest statistics from Teagasc on farm deaths over the past 10-years indicate that our seventh month is by far-an-away the biggest claimer of lives on Irish farms.
Over the past decade, 20 deaths during the month of July have been recorded on Irish – eight more than the next highest month, May, and nine more than August.
The latest ‘stark figures’ – compiled by Teagasc Health and Safety Officer, Francis Bligh – again list the four main causes of farm deaths as vehicles and machinery; livestock; falls from heights or falling objects; and tiredness/rushing.
“Any farm death is a tragedy and our aim here is to try and prevent not only the loss of life, but also the sadness and hardship for families which ensues from farm fatalities . . .
“These stark figures should motivate everyone involved in farming to identify and manage risks in order to prevent unnecessary deaths and serious injury.
“The Summer months are particularly busy on farms with long hours of hard, high-risk work, usually involving tractors and machinery,” Francis Bligh points out in an article in the July-August edition of the Teagasc Today’s Farm magazine.
He said that the Health and Safety Authority (HAS) statistics for farm deaths over the past decade indicated that vehicles and machinery accounted for 52% of the farm deaths, followed by livestock (19%), and falls from heights (10%).
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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