Sometimes when the farm safety focus is on farm deaths, we forget that it's the near-misses that can really upset the day-to-day running of the farm. The single greatest asset your farm has is you. My father has injured himself a few times on the farm, but there were two major accidents where he couldn't work for a number of weeks.

The first was when I was just four years old and he fell off the roof of a milking parlour onto a wall. At the time he used work long hours into the night and be up early each morning for milking. Fortunately he just broke a few bones beside the spine and did not do any damage to the spinal cord itself. Nonetheless he was laid up for several weeks and had a cast all the way around his chest.

For many years after that, he suffered from sporadic bouts of back pain, which were seriously debilitating. Since then, he has given up working ridiculous hours.

Some farmers who suffered falls were not so lucky, as we reported two years ago in the case of Tipperary farmer Dermot Hogan. Falls are the theme of this Monday's first day of Farm Safety Week.

Chainsaw gash

In the January of my first year of college he was trimming the end off a homemade timber calf pen when the chainsaw tore into the ball of his foot. After two operations to make sure he didn't lose his big toe, which is needed for balance, he came home to spend the calving season roaring instructions to anyone who was brave enough to come within arms reach of him.

Inevitably with farming, there are times when it gets busy. Yet it is important to take the time out for yourself, because it is when you are under pressure that accidents happen. Are you prepared to employ a farm manager while you nurse an injury?

Farm Safety Week

Farm Safety Week runs from 4 July to 8 July and the Irish Farmers Journal will have daily coverage as well as in this week's print edition.

Share your stories

Do you have a personal experience to share? Email webdesk@farmersjournal.ie and we will publish a selection of these online.