Health and safety

Accidents and illness related to farming are not inevitable and can be prevented through planning and careful work organisation. A quarter of Irish farm accide- nts and one fifth of farm deaths in older farmers are livestock-related.

Ensuring appropriate facilities are in place to provide comfort and safety for themselves, other farmworkers and their animals is the responsibility of the farmer.

Chapter 26 – Health and safety around Calving and Calf Facilities (pdf) of the Teagasc calf rearing manual provides details of safety guidelines surrounding housing, calving facilities, calf houses and loading and unloading ramps.

The following video focuses on calf welfare and the importance of preparing the calving and calf rearing facilities in advance of the calving season in order to optimise health and safety – Calf Rearing: Heath and safety and animal welfare.

In addition, the Health and Safety Authority provide information on safety on livestock farms- Guidance on the Safe Handling of Cattle on Farms. (pdf)