In 2016, 21 people lost their lives in farm accidents. This represents tragedy for the farm families affected. While it is a reduction on the horrendous 30 farm deaths in 2014, there were three more deaths than in 2015 when 18 people lost their lives in farm accidents.

The farm workplace death statistics are far from satisfactory. One death or serious injury is one too many. We must all take practical actions throughout 2017 to prevent injury.

Last year, one child under 16 years old died compared with four in 2015. Nine were aged 65 years or over compared with five for the previous year. The young and older farmers deserve particular care. The farm death level made up 47% of all workplace deaths while just 6% of the workforce is employed in the sector.

Causes of accidents

A HSA/Teagasc study indicates that farmers predominantly see farm safety with tractors and machines as involving PTO and machine entanglements, whereas in reality most fatal vehicle accidents occur due to being ‘‘struck, crushed or a fall’’. While keeping the risks of entanglement to the fore, we need to communicate the full range of causes of vehicle accidents among farmers.

Consistently, about 50% of accidents are attributable to machinery use. Ten-year data show the following trends:

  • For vehicles, being crushed (67%) is the most frequent cause of death, followed by falling from the vehicle (12%), overturning (14%) and being struck (7%).
  • For machinery, being crushed (38%) or struck (35%) are the most frequent causes of death followed by PTO (11%) and machine entanglement (11%) and falls from machines (3%).
  • The most frequent causes of tractor and machine deaths are tractor crushing, being struck by or falling from a vehicle. This happens most often in the farmyard and involves relatively slow-moving vehicles. With larger modern tractors near-distance visibility can be reduced making it much harder to see persons near the vehicle such as children or older adults. Safe parking is crucial to prevent accidents due to tractors rolling forwards or backwards.

    The psychology concept of ‘‘dread risk’’ indicates that humans dread catastrophic events which evoke a fear response such as PTO entanglement leading to gruesome injury. In contrast, who dreads the movement of a relatively slow-moving vehicle? Nonetheless, these are causing most accidents.

    Prevent musculoskeletal disorders

    The major health-related problem among Irish farmers is a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) with 56% being injured each year. Frequently, MSDs are painful and long-lasting.

    Research in this area has been conducted by Dr Aoife Osborne, FBD lecturer in farm safety at the School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD. The most commonly experienced MSDs are back injury (37%), neck and shoulder pain (25%) hand/wrist/elbow (10%), knee (9%), ankle/foot (9%) and hip pain (8%).

    International research indicates that heavy lifting is a major cause of MSDs. The Irish study indicated that working long hours increases MSDs. The message is clear: to prevent MSDs, cut heavy lifting and organise work to limit exposure.

    Good farmyard layout

    A good farmyard layout allows delivery and storage of fertiliser and adequate space for vehicles to turn. When fertiliser is being stored and spread at a location which is away from the farmyard, thought should be given to how the fertiliser is stored and filled into the fertiliser spreader.

    Keeping fertiliser spills to a minimum cuts the risk of slipping or falling. Some fertiliser products are inherently slippery while others are oil-based or absorb moisture so they can get slippery when spilled.

    Loading-up with fertiliser requires concentration. The safety of bystanders, particularly children and older farmers, should be given first priority. The majority of childhood and older farmer farm deaths are due to tractor and machinery movement in farmyards.

    Fertiliser spreading on sloping ground

    Fertiliser spreading on sloping ground needs particular attention due to the risk of tractor overturn. Driver competence and experience is crucial for this task.

    The following points should be considered.

  • Consider your alternative land-use options for steep slopes.
  • Make sure that you are familiar with the slope by walking it before driving it. Slopes that are very wet or dry ground on which rain has fallen are particularly dangerous. Drive up and down a slope, not across it.
  • Make sure that the tractor is in sound condition, and preferably use a four-wheel drive tractor.
  • Select the right gear before approaching the slope to avoid gear change on the slope.
  • Keep as much weight uphill as possible and use front-end weights.
  • Use wide turning circles and turn uphill if driving across a slope for access.
  • Choosing bags

    The options of bulk spreading, and half-tonne bags are now widely available. Gone are the days when 50kg bags were the only option regarding handling fertiliser. Also, the level of mechanisation on farms gives more options than in the past.

    Bulk

    The bulk option takes the ‘‘weight off your shoulders’’ and also frees up work time for important farm management tasks. There are many excellent contractors available to spread bulk; having good communications, however, is essential if fertiliser needs to be spread in your absence.

    Big bags

    The following safety controls have been devised for big bags generally, but always follow any instructions given for individual products. Always beware of overhead electrical cables.

  • Before lifting, check that lifting loops are not worn or cut. The forks or hooks being used should be smooth.
  • Bags should not be pulled along the ground.
  • Bags should not be allowed to swing against handling equipment or be left suspended for any length of time.
  • When cutting the big bag, never stand underneath the bag or cut the underneath of the bag.
  • When emptying, suspend the bag over the spreader and cut an ‘‘X’’ on the side of the bag 15cm above the base, with a long-handled knife.
  • Small bags

    Small bags require lifting and to minimise this, lift off a trailer at waist height or by drawing along a trailer to the spreader. This prevents lifting from ground level. If lifting a bag, stand the bag upright, adopt a shoulder-wide boxer stance with your feet firmly on the ground, bend your knees and keep your back straight and lift with your thigh muscles. Keep the bag close to your body and grip it firmly. Point in the direction of the fertiliser spreader and never twist your spine by having your back to the spreader. Training should be undertaken and alternatives should be considered to minimise lifting.

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