22 July 2024
Teagasc supports Farm Safety Week 2024
Farm Safety Week is an opportune time to review safety standards and practices on your farm. As part of its Farm Health and Safety Programme, Teagasc will support this initiative again this year.
Running from today, Monday, July 22 to Friday, July 26, Farm Safety Week 2024 is organised in Ireland by the IFA Family and Social Affairs Committee, which is chaired by Teresa Roche.
Pictured in advance of Farm Safety Week from left to right are: John McNamara, Teagasc Health and Safety Specialist; Teresa Roche, Chair of the IFA Social Affairs Committee; Francie Gorman, IFA President; Francis Bligh, Teagasc Health and Safety Specialist; and John O’Hanlon, IFA.
This week also takes place in the UK and is organised by the UK-based Farm Safety Foundation, also known as ‘Yellow Wellies’, in association with farming organisations. The Farm Safety Week official hashtag is #FARMSAFETYWEEK
Commenting on the importance of the initiative, Health and Safety Specialist at Teagasc, Dr John McNamara said: “The summer is a high risk time for farm accidents, particularly among children, young persons and older farmers. Farm Safety Week is an opportune time to review safety standards and practices on your farm.”
Activities such as Farm Safety Week serve a necessary purpose in the promotion of farm safety and health; a key component of social sustainability, as injuries and ill health impact heavily on farmer and farm family lifestyle, cause disability, reduce farm income and impact on a person’s capacity to work off-farm.
According to provisional data from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), three farmers have lost their lives in farm workplace accidents so far in 2024.
Data from the Teagasc National Farm Survey also heightens the need for a greater awareness of the threats and risks to farm safety. It has shown that about 4,500 farm accidents occur on farms each year, with 44% putting the victim out of work for at least four days. Furthermore, some 80% of these farm accidents required medical treatment, with 46% of victims attending hospital, a further 18% a doctor and 16% requiring first aid.
During Farm Safety Week, Teagasc advisors – through their dialogue with farmers at farm walks, events and discussion groups – will give farm safety positive attention. Teagasc Health and Safety Specialists will also participate in IFA organised farm safety events in the counties of Carlow, Cork and Monaghan during the week.
A safety exhibit will also be present at the Ballyhaise’24 – Dairy Open Day on Wednesday, July 24, an important inclusion as a recent Teagasc research paper has indicated that dairy farms have a particularly high level of farm accidents, associated with workload and infrastructural issues.
Farm Safety Risk Assessment
Given the importance of farm safety, Teagasc Health and Safety Specialist, Francis Bligh stated that it’s an excellent time to review and update the Farm Safety Risk Assessment Document for your farm. The Farm Safety Risk Assessment Document is available to download from the HSA website.
This document provides excellent guidance on the wide range of hazards that arise on farms. It also provides a comprehensive template for identifying and addressing farm hazards in a systematic way.