Emergency services have been called to a farm in Co. Cork as a man has been trapped following a trench collapse, a spokesperson for the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has confirmed.
It is believed that emergency services were called to a farm in Coachford, Co. Cork, earlier this morning.
Reports suggest that the man was working on a deep excavation on the farm when the trench he was in collapsed.
Emergency services are believed to be still at the scene and working to try and recover the man. An investigation into the incident is set to be launched by the HSA in the coming days.
Recent farm accidents
Despite this accident being classified under the construction sector rather than agriculture, it is sure to add to the level of concern over the high number of accidents on Irish farms this year.
In recent weeks, a number of farmers have lost their lives as a result of farm accidents. The most recent of which was where a 67-year-old man was killed in an accident involving a quad in Co. Mayo on Thursday, September 21.
In the same week, Martin Kehoe Jnr – son of three-time world ploughing champion Martin Kehoe – died while working in or around a molasses tank in Foulkesmills, Co. Wexford.
Prior to that, one man lost his life and two more were hospitalised following an incident in a mushroom processing plant in Co. Monaghan on Monday, September 13.
In the wake of these farm accidents, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, recently pleaded with farmers to prioritise safety when carrying out their work.