Safety event aims to improve farm behaviour and reduce fatality rate
Teagasc is hosting a practical farm event and a seminar at Kildalton College, Piltown, Co Kilkenny, from 2pm to 5pm today. The event is part of the Health and Safety Authority’s ‘Farm Safety Fortnight’, which continues next week.
Today’s Kildalton event will feature demonstrations on machinery, livestock, buildings and pesticide usage. The causes of Irish farm deaths from 2004-13 were: vehicles (29%); machinery (17%); falls, collapses (18%); livestock (14%); other (22%).
Teagasc health and safety officer John McNamara said: “Farmers are very careful around things like power shafts, which can cause horrific injuries, but most of the deaths are caused by mundane things like getting a bang from a tractor or falling off a tractor.
“People dread a power shaft, but no one dreads a tractor or something simple like walking across an untidy farmyard. As a result, behaviour accounts for 80% of all farm accidents.”
Teagasc and the HSA have highlighted the alarming rise in farm deaths so far in 2014, with seven so far versus one for the same period in 2013.
Farm deaths comprised 44% of all workplace deaths so far in 2014. Being crushed by a tractor or machine has been the main factor associated with recent farm deaths, followed by animal incidents.
“The same accidents are constantly recurring, with very little difference over the years,” said Mr McNamara. “There are five or six areas that keep coming back, including vehicles, machines, people in farmyards and the collapse of a roof, a wall or a bale. Bulls and other livestock are an issue. So too is slurry, with drowning and gassing being a problem.
“We’re also seeing an increase in chainsaw accidents. People are choosing to cut their timber themselves, and we’re seeing more accidents and fatalities with people cutting large timber on the ground, or cutting windblown timber after the recent storms.”
Mr McNamara said windblown or semi-fallen trees can build up huge tension, split badly and seriously injure people. Cutting these trees down is best left to experienced people, Teagasc advises.
Teagasc is also conscious of the possibility that post-quota expansion could see farmers stretching their resources, thus aggravating health risks. However, it seems most farmers are building safety into their expansion plans.
“With expansion on the horizon, we have done a lot of work on balancing the need for efficiencies and safety,” said Mr McNamara. “We are finding that most farmers are planning to expand prudently and have the facilities in place to match their increased herd size.
“People understand the risks of expanding rapidly without modifying their facilities. They also know the risks in working too long hours. Thankfully, we are seeing that people are developing their business sensibly.”
At today’s seminar, HSA senior inspector Patrick Griffin will outline Ireland’s farm safety strategy.
John McNamara will give an update on recent research relating to adoption of safety at farm level. The seminar is being jointly hosted by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, the accreditation body for education of health and safety professionals.
- For more, call Teagasc at 051-644537, or see teagasc.ie. Entry is free of charge.
