Farmers and rural-dwellers should always think safety first before starting any work during Hedgerow Week 2019 – and all other times – according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Taking to social media today, Wednesday, October 23, the department issued a brief post warning people to keep safety to the forefront of their minds when at tasks.
Workers should keep back from operational hedge-cutters, according to the authority.
During #Hedgerowweek19, remember to think safety first before starting any work⚠️
➡️Keep back from operational hedgecutters
➡️If using chainsaws, ensure that you use all of the PPE and that you are fully trained, poor use of chainsaws have caused fatalities and serious injuries pic.twitter.com/QgZPyHGRDo— Dept of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (@agriculture_ie) October 23, 2019
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In addition, if using chainsaws, workers are urged to ensure that they use all of the personal protective equipment (PPE) and that they are fully trained in handling the saw.
Poor use of chainsaws have caused fatalities and serious injuries, the department warned.
Hedgerow Week 2019
Hedgerow Week 2019, organised by Teagasc, kicked off on Monday, October 21, with an official launch to be held in Teagasc Kildalton College, Piltown, Co. Kilkenny.
According to Teagasc, the five-day initiative is aiming to “celebrate good practice in hedgerow management; to educate everyone about the benefits of hedgerows; best practice around hedgerow cutting; and the consequences if hedge-cutting is not done correctly”.