Farming
Killing fields haunt Irish farm families
A HORROR year on Irish farms – that has so far claimed the lives of 28 people – has prompted the launch of another safety appeal at local and national level.
IFA leaders are hoping that farmers – across all types and age groups – will approach every day’s work with safety to the forefront of their minds.
The latest IFA drive on safety is delivered in their 2015 calendar contained in last week’s Farmers Journal and in special pens with the acronym of: SAVE LIVES.
Maura Canning, National IFA Farm Family Chairperson, told the Farming Tribune that while there were indications of prosecutions being stepped for some farm safety offences, the safety drive had to come from farmers themselves.
“Some farmers are just taking too many chances and all anyone has to do is to look at the farm fatality figures for this year alone.
“It is absolutely heartbreaking to see the number of farm fatalities for this year come close to the 30 mark – there are now families left behind who will be scarred forever,” said Maura Canning.
She added that every farmer who went out into his farm or farmyard had to factor in safety and to bear in mind the risks involved, whether they be machinery, animals, tanks, roofs or just untidy farmyards.
Farm deaths had dipped to 16 in 2013, from a figure of 21 each, for the previous two years. This year’s increase has occurred against a background of national campaigns aimed at cutting drastically the fatality rate on Irish farms.
The latest SAVE LIVES acronym gives the following guidelines:
S: Stress distracts – stay focused at the job in hand.
A: Apply the tractor handbrake anytime you leave cab.
V: Ventilate and evacuate when agitating slurry.
E: Ensure a roof can support your weight.
L: Loose clothes can get caught in machinery.
I: Icy roads and pathways can be dangerous: slow down.
V: Visitors on the farm especially children need care.
E: Escape routes should be planned when handling cattle.
S: Switch on the light – hidden objects can be dangerous.