Connemara project aims to help farmers live a healthier and safer life on the land

FORUM Connemara – the company designed to promote the region across a number of platforms – have now launched an initiative aimed at improving health and safety for farmers working in the region.

The overall aim of the EIP scheme (European Innovation Partnership) is to try and make farming a safer occupation for all those involved in working the land.

Despite Ireland’s reputation for producing high-quality food by farmers enjoying a great way of life, the sector continues to have a poor occupational safety and health record with a disproportionate level of fatal and serious injuries each year.

Fatalities in the farming sector account for up to 50% of all workplace deaths in Ireland and now FORUM Connemara are involved in an initiative aimed at improving the physical and mental health and their family members across North-West Connemara.

This currently involves 45 local farmers on a specially tailored farming training programme which will include first aid, working at heights, fire safety and quad-bike safety initiatives.

The FORUM Connemara team are currently focusing on completing Farm Risk assessments and safety plans and aim to complete 120 of these with farmers throughout Connemara.

Each farmer that successfully completes a risk assessment and is actively taking actions to address the risks identified will receive a farm safety pack worth €100 as an incentive to put ‘safety first’ on their farms.

The scheme will also host a series of talks that are relevant to the farming community on other issues including one over recent weeks given by Rory Coll, Coll and Co – The Tax Specialists on: Financial Matters for the Farming Community

FORUM Have been running the very successful North Connemara Locally Led Agri-environmental scheme (NCLLAES) since 2019 in North West Connemara.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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