With slurry season well underway and silage time just around the corner – hopefully – the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) is asking farmers to consider nine safety points every time they get into the cab.

Since the start of the millennium, HSENI warns that there have been seven deaths on Northern Irish farms due to faulty or poorly maintained tractor brakes and hand-brakes alone.

Many of these accidents can be simply avoided by ensuring that the parking brake is applied before leaving the tractor cab and regularly checking that the brakes and parking brakes are in good order.

HSENI warns that the slightest incline, where you park a tractor, can be enough to cause the tractor to roll downhill if the brakes have not been applied properly.

Malcolm Downey, HSENI farm safety inspector, said keeping your machinery in good condition was not just beneficial in terms of its performance – but also for safety.

He said: “All forms of farm machinery present many dangers if you do not keep them in a good condition and, while they allow farmers to work quicker and more efficiently, safety is critical when carrying out important maintenance.

“Accidents involving equipment is one of the four areas targeted by the Farm Safety Partnership’s on-going campaign – ‘Stop and Think SAFE’.

“The four main causes of death and injury on our farms are slurry, animals, falls and equipment (SAFE). Please remember, working with tractors and any machinery is a risky business – so always keep them properly maintained.

“Also, where faults arise, make sure that someone competent carries out any repairs.”

A list of things that should never be done was also provided.