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The number of farm accidents has increased by 13% according to the recently published five-year Teagasc National Farm Safety Survey.
The survey was based on a five-year period between 2012 and 2017, and recorded a total of 2,814 farm accidents, from a base of 85,000 farms.
Dairy farmers recorded the highest accident rate at 18%, followed by tillage farmers at 12%, sheep farmers at 11%, suckler farmers at 9% and cattle finishers at 8%.
The results showed that 97% of the farm accident victims required medical treatment, while 73% attended hospital as a result of their injuries and tragically 1% of accidents resulted in a fatality.
“Farmers need to take time to plan their work and not take risks,” Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed said, commenting on the survey.
“The impact on families of serious accidents is unquantifiable, so I appeal once again to farmers to make the change to keep safe.”
Livestock were involved in 42% of accidents, while the accident rate involving machinery has more than doubled to represent 25%. Farm accidents involving chainsaws made up 7% of cases.
Almost two-thirds of cases occurred in the farmyard. Ninety-two per cent of on-farm accidents involved a family member and 80% directly involved the farmer.
Farm accidents cause tragedy, pain and suffering, disability
Up to one-third of accidents resulted in a work absence of over a month from the farm, while 21% of cases resulted in two months off work. The injured party was able to return to the farm without a break for convalescence after an accident in fewer than one-fifth of cases.
Young and old farmers
The survey indicated that young farmers were the most likely to have non-fatal accidents, with 9% of farmers between the age of 60 and 70 experiencing a farm accident and 7% of farmers over 70 suffering a farm accident.
Teagasc director Professor Gerry Boyle said: “Farm accidents cause tragedy, pain and suffering, disability and economic loss, so it is vital to give safety first priority.
“Teagasc will be focusing on lessons from the survey findings in its efforts to assist farmers to improve farm safety.”
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