Farmers4Safety - managing risk together
On Monday at Bushy Park, Kildinan a unique project aimed at improving farm safety and the health and wellbeing amongst farmers was launched. Cork, Wexford and Tipperary are three counties with above average levels of farm fatalities each year so this pilot project is being trialled in these counties with a view to possible ‘mainstreaming’ later. These three counties have some of the best farming land in the country, some of the best and busiest farms and perhaps there is a link therein.
Farmers4Safety is a joint venture between Irish Rural Link and three rural groups, all of whom are promoting a better future for rural dwellers. Irish Rural Link (IRL), formed in 1991, is a national network of organisations and individuals campaigning for sustainable rural development in Ireland and Europe. A non-profit organisation, IRL now directly represents over 600 community groups with a combined membership of 25,000. They have teamed up with the local BRIDE Project, the Duncannon Blue Flag Farming & Communities Group (Wexford) and the New Futures Farming Group in Tipperary to champion the cause of farm safety and the wellbeing of rural dwellers.
TRUSTED FARM MENTORS
On Monday the project was launched on the Murphy farm at Bushy Park in Kildinan. The host farmer John Murphy is involved with the BRIDE Project – Biodiversity Regeneration in a Dairying Environment - which commits to farming with nature. The vision of Farmers4Safety is ‘to significantly change behaviour in regards to the active management of farm safety and wellbeing measures among farmers, farm workers and all who live and work on farms.’
What really makes the project so unique is the fact that it’s being driven by trusted farm mentors. We all know the meaning of ‘our peers’ - people at our own level. This farm safety and wellbeing project is based on farm mentors - people from farming backgrounds, visiting other farmers - not in a confrontational or ‘inspector’ type visit. No, farmers will engage with other farmers and farm families and those who interact with farmers.
Project manager is Niamh Nolan and in Kildinan on Monday she stated “We want to change people’s attitudes and behaviours, not just towards actual farm safety, but also as regards looking after their own health and wellbeing”.
Seamus Boland CEO of Irish Rural Link, spoke of too many avoidable fatalities and accidents which occur on farms across this country, leaving families devastated and without livelihoods. He said that from May to August is the period that sees the highest number of farm accidents - the busiest time of the year on farms.
TD VISITS WORKING FARM
The project was officially launched by Martin Heydon TD, Junior Minister in the Department of Agriculture. He made the point that projects such as this are often launched in Government buildings or at Agriculture House or in a hotel somewhere in Dublin, so he was delighted to be on a working farm to get the Farmers4Safety project off the ground.
“Farmers and their families are the most powerful advocates we have for a change in culture around farm safety, health and wellbeing. Too often, familiarity can lead to farmers becoming accustomed to risks on their farms, risks our families and peers might spot, including signs of issues around health and wellbeing. I am delighted my Department has been able to fund this project as I believe there is huge capacity for farmers to learn from one another to make their farms safer places and to improve their health and wellbeing,” he said.
“This Farm Safety EIP Agri Project is one of the eight projects piloting innovative approaches to farm health, safety and wellbeing focused on encouraging a bottom up approach to behaviour change among farmers in relation to farm safety.”
FARM WALK
After light refreshments were served, John Murphy led all present on a farm walk highlighting the various environmental and biodiversity positive actions being taken by farmers in the BRIDE Project.
Niamh Horan can be contacted at 090 6482745 or via e-mail niamh@farmers4safety. ie - the project website is www.Farmers4Safety. ie