Pics and video: Farm safety event highlights the main risk areas on farms

A farm safety event held in Co. Wexford on Saturday demonstrated a number of the key risks and safety hazards farmers face each day while carrying out day-to-day tasks on their farms.

The event, which the organisers say was the first of its kind to be held in Ireland, displayed various scenarios where farmers could receive injuries, both superficial and mortal.

It was organised by a group of local farmers and it highlighted the best practice in farm safety along with giving farmers an insight into some of the main dangers on their farms.

Speaking at the event, Teagasc Farm Buildings and Machinery Specialist, Tom Ryan said that the demonstrations on show were plausible and foreseeable on many farms.

From a safety point of view, any thing that is foreseeable can be controlled, by controlling the risks, identifying the hazards and putting control measures in place.

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Ryan urged the farmers who attended to make a conscious effort to address the potential safety risks on their farmers and to think about the narrow escapes and near misses that have had over the years.

“None of us can say we can relax and take it easy when it comes to farm safety,” he said.

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‘One death in farming is a death too many’

Also speaking at the event, President of Macra na Feirme, Sean Finan said that farm safety is a huge issue affecting farmers on the ground.

One death in farming is a death to many and due to the pressures farmers are under at the moment with regards to price and income farm safety and mental health are linked.

Finan said that lower incomes mean that farmers are unable to invest as much money as they can on their farms to make sure that they are fully upgraded and this contributes to the number of accidents that occur on farms annually.