Farm Safety Week: 'No job on the farm is worth a life'
Farmers and farm families across the country are being encouraged to make safety a priority on their farms.
The message comes as Farm Safety Week begins today (Monday, July 20).
The campaign is led by the Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) and supported by the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) in Ireland.
Now in its 14th year, Farm Safety Week has grown into one of the farming sector’s largest safety awareness campaigns and is backed by more than 500 partner organisations across the UK and Ireland.
Farm Safety Week
The campaign was officially launched by Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) with responsibility for Farm Safety, Niall Collins, IFA President Francie Gorman and IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs chair Teresa Roche at the recent Teagasc Beef Open Day.
Minister Collins welcomed this "important farm safety awareness campaign" which he said "provides an important opportunity to remind farmers of the ever-present risks on farms and especially during the busy summer months".
"Sometimes, there is a very small margin between a close call and a serious or fatal injury.
"I am asking farmers to always put safety first; your livelihood, your safety and that of your family, depends on you avoiding taking risks. Never take shortcuts or depend on luck when it comes to farm safety.
"There is no room for complacency; risk-taking must have no place on the farm. By taking a few simple, often inexpensive steps, farmers can make their farms a much safer place to work or to visit," he added.
IFA President Francie Gorman said Farm Safety Week is an important reminder that every farmer has a role to play in creating a safer working environment.
“No job on the farm is worth a life. As farmers, we face unique risks every day, but we also have the power to make safer choices.
“This week, I urge every farming family to stop, think and take action to prevent accidents. Let’s protect ourselves, our loved ones and our future,” Francie Gorman said.
IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs chair Teresa Roche added that the number of farm accidents and fatalities remains far too high.
“The rate of farm accidents and fatalities is still far too high. It’s a painful reality that too many families in rural Ireland have faced.
"Farm Safety Week is a chance for all of us to take stock, change habits and put safety at the heart of everything we do. One accident is one too many," she said.
Planning
Farm Safety Week reminds everyone involved in farming that while risks cannot be eliminated entirely, many incidents can be prevented through planning, awareness and adopting safe working practices.
Taking a few extra moments to assess a task before starting could prevent an accident that changes lives forever.
Stephanie Berkeley, manager of the Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies), said:
"When we talk about farm safety, fatalities understandably dominate the conversation, but serious injuries can be just as life changing.
"We must take injuries just as seriously as fatalities and recognise that preventing harm, not just death, has to be our goal."
