FBD will do 30,000 farm safety visits
With farm deaths doubling to 30 in 2014, FBD has welcomed the support of Connacht footballers for its Champions for Change campaign to push for a change in behaviour towards risks in farming.
Key players in the FBD Connacht GAA Senior League, who are active farmers, have helped create farm safety videos.
Galway farmer and All Ireland winner Tomás Mannion invited FBD to his farm to create a video. He said, “At one stage in my life, I did everything possible to win an All-Ireland medal. Now the safety and health of my family is number one. Small changes can make a difference between life and death.”
Roscommon dairy farmer and Connacht champion Seamus Killoran advises farmers to “respect the task at hand and take your time.”
Mayo All Star Cillian O’Connor, from a farm at Ballintubber, said: “The family farm has been the most dangerous workplace for the fifth consecutive year, and almost all of us know of somebody that has suffered from a farming accident. Now is the time to address these issues and hopefully prevent more tragedies.”
Leitrim goal-keeper and dairy farmer Cathal McCrann said, “In the same way, my team rely on me to protect the goal, it’s my responsibility to manage safety on the farm and protect myself and my family.”
Sligo beef farmer and team captain Dessie Sloyan, urged all farmers to stop taking risks.
FBD Risk Manager and Vice Chairman of the Farm Safety Partnership, Ciaran Roche, said, “Anyone who has ever made and broken a new year resolution can appreciate the difficulty of behaviour change.
"Making a lasting change in behaviour is rarely a simple process, and usually involves a substantial commitment of time, effort and emotion. Many unsafe practices on Irish farms are learned behaviours which have been passed down for generations, but is it fair to pass these onto the next generation?”
FBD Champions for Change farm safety packs and signage will be delivered through key channels around the country, as new partners sign up to the campaign.
