Caution urged in wake of recent farm tragedies
IN THE LAST DECADE VEHICLES AND MACHINERY HAVE ACCOUNTED FOR AROUND 50 PER CENT OF ALL FARM FATALTIES AND IT’S AN ONGOING CONCERN
FARMERS around County Wexford are being urged to exercise extreme caution in terms of farm safety.
The call comes in the wake of a recent fatal accident in which a man in his 40s lost his life on his farm in Antrim.
There were six farm related fatalities in May to-date and the IFA is urging those working in the sector to be extra vigilant.
With schools closed it means children are around farms at a time when farming in general is entering a very busy period.
James Graham is a farmer and contractor near Camolin and, speaking to this newspaper about the matter, he said people can never be too cautious on a farm.
‘ There’s a lot of activity now at this time of the year and with children off school they want to be out around the farm,’ he said.
‘ There’s a multitude of things going happening on farms at this time of the year and that also means there’s a lot of machinery coming and going,’ he added.
‘Usually, children are in school now and it’s hard to keep them off the yard with lambs and calves etc because they like being out there.’
However, Mr Graham said the obvious danger posed by slurry tanks being opened now adds to the wide range of dangers that children and those unfamiliar with the workings of a farm now face.
‘People just have to be more alert and aware,’ he said.
‘Children can be in view one minute and then, a second later, they can be gone,’ he added.
‘People just have be more alert of where children are.’
Mr Graham also said children shouldn’t be on tractors and even with modern, enclosed cabs, it’s still easy for accidents to happen.
He said it’s very easy for a child to inadvertently get a tractor moving if they are in the cab and that could be disastrous if the parent is after getting down out of the cab – even for a brief minute or two.
He said the same principle applies with regard to other farm machinery such as quads.
He emphasised the fact that children shouldn’t be on quads at all.
‘People need to be responsible,’ he said.
Mr Graham also said the safety issues don’t just relate to machinery and that care should be taken around animals too.
‘If a bull decides to attack you won’t get out of the field and you have to be very careful,’ he said.
He also highlighted the importance of letting visitors to the farm know of the dangers.
‘It’s also very important that visiting children know where things like the slurry holes are,’ he said.
His advice is in line with that of the IFA who also issued a statement to this newspaper about farm safety.
‘Young children should not be allowed unsupervised access to the farmyard,’ said a spokesperson for the organisation.
She also said contractors should be made aware of the presence of children when they are about to work on a farm.
The IFA also advises that teenagers should get training in areas like safe tractor driving and children under the age of 14 should operate tractors or self-propelled machines.
‘Only allow children over 14 to drive a tractor or self-propelled vehicle in line with legal requirements,’ said the spokesperson.
‘When children have to be carried in the cab, it must be fitted with a properly designed and fitted passenger seat with seat belt,’ she added.
She went on to comment that a child or young person aged 14 or over should only be permitted to drive a tractor or self-propelled machine after they have attended a formal training course and that they are closely supervised by a responsible adult.
From a practical perspective the IFA also advised that controls that operate the power take off (PTO) devices, hydraulic devices and engine cut-off are clearly marked.
The spokesperson highlighted that vehicles and machinery are the main cause of farm accidents in Ireland and in the last decade have accounted for around 50 per cent of all farm fatalities.
HSA inspector, Pat Griffin, also commented on the issue and said: ‘Farms are by far the most dangerous places of work in Ireland that we are concerned about this year, in that we may get a spike in child deaths in 2020.’
He said people usually involved in off-farm work are now around the farm more often, and children are also off school, which means the risk of injury is greatly increased by both inexperienced adults and unaware children.
‘ The most vulnerable people are young children and older adults,’ said Mr Griffin.
‘Last year 13 of the 18 people who were killed on Irish farms were aged over 60.’