The vast majority of serious tractor accidents are caused because of inexperienced operators, speed, lack of concentration, gradient, unguarded parts and the poor mechanical condition of the tractor.

The first steps in trying to prevent accidents are to make sure that the machine is in a sound condition and that the operator has adequate experience to complete the task.

We’re all busy with lots of important jobs to do around the yard. However, we should still be able to perform a five minute check before we begin our work.

Simple human errors are a huge factor in the number of farm accidents in Ireland, including: the operator forgot something; took a shortcut or risk; ignored a warning light; was not paying close attention; failed to follow safety rules; or did not maintain the machine in a safe condition.

There are many different kinds of farm machinery – mowers, tractors, harvesters, augers, slurry spreaders and balers – but they all have similar characteristics and hazards.

This practice will eliminate the majority of unnecessary accidents around the yard. When you are finishing your work on the tractor, there are also a number of steps you should follow.

To avoid the risk of accidents occurring, there are a number of things that farmers, contractors or anyone working with tractors should never do.

Let’s farm safely and get home safe at the end of every day.