A series of farm safety workshops are being held in agricultural colleges across the country over the next two months to remind farmers to put safety first.

The first in the FBD, Teagasc and the Health and Safety Authority "Champions of Safety" series of workshops was held in Kildalton in Kilkenny recently. The workshop's keynote speakers are Peter Gohery, a Galway farmer who lost a leg in a PTO farm accident; Ciaran Roche and local FBD Representatives; and Pat Griffin and John Kennedy of the HSA. The seminars have been facilitated by the colleges and co-ordinated by Teagasc's John McNamara.

During the first seminar, FBD spoke about the importance of personal accident, employer’s liability and public liability insurance. They also highlighted that a change in unsafe farming cultures and behaviour is essential if we are to see a reduction in farm accidents.

The HSA outlined how the fatality rate on Irish farms compares poorly with other Irish industries and indeed other European countries. Using real cases, farmers were informed on how fatal accidents easily occur and proposed measures for prevention. The HSA urged farmers to take more responsibility for their safety and the safety of others on the farm, particularly children.

Speaking at the launch, FBD Risk Manager Ciaran Roche said: “I think that messages given by all the speakers were very powerful, especially the contribution of Peter Gohery. You could have heard a pin drop as Peter told his story of how he lost his leg in a PTO accident and explained the human and financial cost of his accident."

HSA Senior Inspector, Pat Griffin said: “I believe that the positive engagement of young farmers in health and safety will help to foster a strong safety culture in the future."