Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for farm safety, Martin Heydon said that summer is “the most dangerous” time on farms.
Minister Heydon spoke to Agriland about the dangers as Farm Safety Week gets underway from today (Monday, July 17) running until Friday (July 21).
The minister said that during the summer children are off school and may want to take part in farming activities but he has urged farm families to be vigilant when it comes to potential dangers.
“There’s a role that we can play in teaching kids about farming and what it is we do and the fantastic way of life that it is, but we need to do that in a safe way,” the minister said.
He recommended that children observe farming from a distance, and that there should be a safe place for children to play away from the farmyard.
“When you meet anybody who have been victims of incidents, whether it’s been a fatality or a serious injury, the one thing that really strikes me is they never think it will happen to them,” Minister Heydon said.
One of the main risks to children on farms are tractors and machinery. Children under seven years of age should not be passengers on tractors according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
All slurry tanks and water hazards on a farm should also be properly covered or fenced off to prevent these being accessed.
Children should never be allowed near dangerous animals such as bulls, stallions, rams, stags and female animals with new-born young or when animals are being released from buildings or being loaded into a trailer.
Heydon on hazard advice
Minister Heydon also advised farmers to be aware of and avoid hazards. He believes there are two “really obvious things that farmers have to do”.
He said one step farmers can take is to get “a fresh pair of eyes” to identify hazards and then to act on those hazards immediately.
The minister said he does not want farm safety to “be something on the side” – instead he would like to see it incorporated in to daily life on a farm and into “everything we do”.
Minster Heydon also spoke to Agriland about the importance of mental health in farming.
He said that between the weather, environment and increasing prices, farmers are “under pressure”.
“We have a body of work to do to clearly articulate the measures that farmers are going to in terms of the environment,” Minister Heydon said.
Farm Safety Week
Farm Safety Week is led by the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) and supported by Teagasc and the minister.
The main objectives of this week are to:
- Raise awareness;
- Share positive stories/technology to improve safety;
- Challenge farm safety attitude and encourage farmers to look after their physical and mental health.
Tomorrow (Tuesday, July 18) will focus on quad safety, Wednesday (July 19) will look at livestock handling, and Thursday (July 20) will revolve around long-term health.
Friday (July 20) will nominate a farm safety hero to conclude the week.