Safety plea to older farmers
OLDER farmers have been asked to make sensible allowances in their work practices for decreasing levels of mobility and strength as well as factoring in changes in their eyesight and hearing faculties.
National IFA President, Joe Healy, said that it was clear from the farming accident and fatalities statistics that older farmers were at a far greater risk of being injured or killed on Irish farmers.
According to the latest figures on farm safety incidents, accidents involving farmers over 55-years of age accounted for 55% of farm deaths while 35% of fatal accidents on farms involved people aged 65 or more.
“We are encouraging older farmers to recognise their limitations, examine their work practices and to make sure to ask for help when they need it.
“We’re also highlighting the importance of getting regular health, hearing and eyesight checks so you can identify any issues, and take steps to address them or to change how you work on the farm in light of them,” said Joe Healy.
Galway IFA Chairperson, Anne Mitchell, said that farmers had to realise that as they got older they would not be as agile as they had been and to make allowance for this in their daily routines.
“Older farmers – indeed all farmers – should get the simple things right first on safety. Try and keep the yard tidy at all times; ensure that the hand-brake on tractors is working properly; always have PTOs guarded and have frontloaders down; and remember that the handling of livestock can be very dangerous,” said Anne Mitchell.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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