A man has died in Clare after sustaining a serious head injury while fitting a tyre to a lorry.

The incident occurred yesterday evening near Liscannor.

Emergency services attended the scene and the man was airlifted to hospital where he later died.

It has been reported locally that the man, understood to be in his 30s, was inflating a tyre when it exploded. The HSE and Gardai are investigating the incident.

It comes as the Teagasc and Health and Safety Authority (HSA) National Farm Safety Conference is taking place in Kilkenny. Speaking at the opening of the conferennce, HSA chief executive officer Martin O’Halloran said a “fundamental” change needs to occur in order to halt the growing trend.

“We know that awareness levels are high and farmers are positively disposed to farm safety, but we need to translate that awareness into daily behaviour,” he said.

However, with the volume of deaths increasing, O’Halloran expressed his concern.

“The attitudes towards farm safety are positive but that is not transferring into change.”

O’Halloran said that following a spate of deaths in 2010, two separate Government departments met to discuss the problem. He alluded to perhaps a similar response being needed this year.

“After the carnage and devastation of farm deaths in 2010, the ministries labour affairs and agriculture met to discuss the trend and perhaps this is needed again this year,” he added.

Of the 19 deaths on Irish farms this year, half of those have been as a result of machinery and four came after accidents involving round bales. In this week’s Irish Farmers Journal, Pat Griffin of the HSA said the body is urging people to be aware that round bales are incredibly dangerous.

Eight of the twenty deaths this year were people aged 60 or older, four people were aged 80 or older while four were children, 17 or younger. Cork is the worst county for farm deaths with four deaths in the county this year.

O’Halloran said that deaths are “foreseeable and preventable” and urged farmers to learn from farmers to know what is a danger on their own farm.

In relation to injuries, director of Teagasc Gerry Boyle said that in the region of 3,000 people are injured on farms every year. However, he said there is an opportunity to “look at a new perspective” to ease the “pain and suffering” relating to farm injuries.

O’Halloran said that “near misses” can be a deterrent to farm injuries and deaths.

This was echoed by Dr Denis O’Hora who is a chartered psychologist in the school of psychology with NUI Galway.

“Accidents,” O’Hora said are “lead indicators” something that educates farmers on accidents “before it happens”. He is looking to collect “close call” data anonymously from farmers to learn about farm deaths and accidents. He said if this data could be collated the Ireland could be a “world leader” on farm accidents.

Brian Rohan gave a very moving account of the death of his father and how both he and his wife Norma established the Embrace organisation to help grieving victims of farm accidents.

Read more on HSA conference here.