A practical Farm Safety half-day event is being run in a joint effort between Teagasc and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) at Teagasc Clonakilty Agricultural College, Co. Cork on Friday, November 3 (Friday week).

Teagasc health and safety officer John McNamara encouraged farmers to attend the day, saying that this farm safety event is planned to highlight key practical issues which will prevent fatalities and serious farm accidents.

The demonstration will also focus on planning to be ‘winter ready’ for adverse weather events, including electrical, building maintenance and use of chainsaws on farms.

So far this year 20 people have lost their lives on Irish farms in tragic circumstances, according to Teagasc.

The two most recent of these occurred over the weekend in counties Cork and Wicklow, during repair work being carried out in the wake of last week’s storms.

Eight farm deaths have occurred relating to tractors with a further four happening with quads. Three deaths were associated with animals, two due to gas poisoning and one each with a fall from a height, soil collapse and drowning.

The farm safety event in Clonakilty will focus on some key farm safety issues, as listed below.

Dangers associated with the use of farm tractors and quads on farms will be covered. People being knocked down or crushed in and around farmyards are the most frequent causes of accidents. Tractor visibility issues and ensuring that vehicles are secured will all be emphasised at the event.

New regulations now apply to the road use of tractors, trailers and implements, which will be looked at. Gardai will be on hand to give on-the-ground advice on the practical application of the new requirements.

Meanwhile, HSA staff will be present to describe Farm Building Maintenance requirements, working on heights, safety with slurry and farm electrical safety.

Livestock safety, with particular reference to safety around calving time, will be demonstrated.

Practical aspects of proper chainsaw use will be demonstrated – including one’s choice of chainsaw protective wear and chainsaw standards and maintenance. The HSA guidelines, training requirements and limitations for tree felling will also be outlined.

Patrick Griffin, HSA senior inspector in the Operational Compliance and Prevention Division, will close the farm safety event by giving a short talk on practical strategies that farmers can take to prevent farm accidents and ill health.

All farmers are urged to attend the farm safety event. McNamara said that farmer management of health and safety issues is the essential component of preventing farm accidents.

Short term behavioural actions are needed to secure safety. On a longer term basis, farms need to be managed to minimise risk, the health and safety officer pointed out. He stated that under the department’s TAMS II scheme, considerable grant aid is available to implement health and safety improvement measures on farms.

The demonstration day is free of change and is a Department of Agriculture approved Knowledge Transfer event for sheep, beef, dairy and tillage farmers.  Registration takes place from 9:45am to 10:30am and the event will conclude at 1:00pm.