The sixth annual Farm Safety Live event will be brought to the Tullamore Show on Sunday, August 11, in a joint move by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), FBD and FRS Training.

The whole initiative behind ‘Farm Safety Live’ is to get people to pledge to make a change on their farms after attending the event, according to the organisers.

Aiming to bring something different each year, this year’s live and interactive demonstrations seek to make changes on the farm, in the areas of vehicle safety, machinery safety, livestock safety and safety when working at heights.

FRS, FBD Insurance and the HSA along with the Tullamore Show want people to make a pledge to: change the way they approach machinery; change the way they handle their livestock; change how they deal with working at heights; and commit to make changes and introduce safety measures on their farms.

The farming sector is still recording the most fatalities each year in Ireland.

Overall fatality statistics have not been improving, with most accidents occurring from machinery, tractors, vehicles and livestock, and with the young and elderly proving to be the main victims.

Pat Griffin, safety inspector with the HSA, said: “Tractors, quads and other vehicles are involved in the vast majority of farm fatalities.

If your tractor is not right, nothing’s right. A good handbrake on your tractor is so important and I ask all farmers to pledge to ensure the handbrake is working and it is properly applied.

“Working together we can make farming a safer business and protect ourselves and our loved ones,” he said.

Jim Dockery, of FRS Training, added: “We use practical demonstrations to show there is always a better way to do the task in hand safer. The safe handling of livestock commands excellent facilities. We are demonstrating how these livestock safety designs can be incorporated into your farm facilities.

“We demonstrate how to handle quad bikes and farm machinery safely and correctly.

“We know farmers love to see thing in motion and visualise how they work, this sticks in the mind better and results in better understanding and more likely to make that pledge to take action and farm safer.”

Ciaran Roche, Risk Manager, FBD Insurance, said, “Now is the time to challenge ourselves to work more safely and to stop taking risks.

All stakeholders need to work together as a farming community to break the cycle of risk-taking behaviour.

“If we can create a positive safety culture on farms, behavioural change and safer farming practices will follow,” he said.

Brenda Kiernan, chairperson of Tullamore Show, said: “We were delighted to facilitate such a vital and significant agenda as part of the show programme.”