A farmer in his 50s has sadly passed away after he was reportedly knocked into a slurry pit by a tractor and slurry tanker, the Gardai confirmed to AgriLand.
The accident is believed to have taken place yesterday evening, June 27, at about 7:20pm on a farm in the Labasheeda area of west Co. Clare.
It is believed that ambulances, the fire service and Gardai from Kilrush attended the accident.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene, before being removed to Limerick Regional Hospital.
Both the Gardai and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) have launched investigations into the tragic accident.
It appears that the deceased was offloading slurry from the tractor and tanker combination when it rolled back and hit him, a HSA spokesperson told AgriLand.
This most recent farm fatality will bring to 14 the number of confirmed deaths on Irish farms this year, the HSA added.
Just last week the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, made a fresh appeal to farmers to prioritise farm safety during this busy period.
With farmers trying to make the most of the recent spell of fine weather, by saving silage and hay, he urged farmers to take special care when working with farm machinery.
The fact that most children are now on their summer holidays makes it especially important that farm safety is to the fore of everybody’s mind on the farm, he added.
Meanwhile, it was revealed earlier this year that farming is the occupation with the highest risk of fatalities in the country.
According to a report published by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), farming carries a risk of fatality 10 times higher than the national average.
The report drew on a survey of over 800 farmers commissioned by the HSA; all of whom were male, self-employed and who had no regular-paid employees.