I had never done a farm-orientated health and safety course but I had applied for TAMS on a few items I needed part of the conditions imposed by the Department was that the applicant who signed the application form had to do a basic course in farm health and safety in the local Teagasc office.

The course only lasted a morning but a lot of work had gone into preparing it. It was delivered professionally by a Teagasc staff member who knew the subject well and was in touch with the realities of modern farming. Everyone should spend a few hours getting an update on farm safety occasionally.

This risk of course extends to the near misses which everyone in farming can relate to and give thanks that their near-miss was not much more serious as it could easily have been

I knew that farming was the most dangerous occupation in the country but with just 6% of the working population and accounting for 40% of annual fatalities across all the employees in the country, the risks in farming are clearly much higher. This risk of course extends to the near misses which everyone in farming can relate to and give thanks that their near-miss was not much more serious as it could easily have been. So, what were the take-home messages – at least for me?

The first was the dullest and was to get and fill out the new, updated farm safety statement. This will force you to at least look at all the areas covered by the health and safety requirements. When we are all so familiar with our own setup, these items that are inherently dangerous can be so easily overlooked because we see them every day.

The importance of fully-functioning handbrakes and PTO guards stood out

I still cannot understand why there cannot be a discount on the farm insurance premium if there is an updated farm safety statement, but that’s a different discussion.

The other main take-home message was the fact that farm machinery, including ATVs, account for 50% of all deaths. The importance of fully-functioning handbrakes and PTO guards stood out. The handbrake issue had never struck me as important but when working in a confined space, a modern tractor is so big that a movement that pins you against a wall or railing or allows it to roll forward with someone on the ground attempting a repair, can be catastrophic.

I think an increasing number of farmers are aware of the dangers surrounding slurry and I was surprised that accidents with timber

After machinery, livestock, especially cows, account for 13% of fatalities but I was surprised that falling from heights accounts for 11% of deaths but, heights may play a bigger role in non-fatal accidents.

Cherrypickers are not cheap when you think about hiring them before doing a job, but even a small accident off a ladder can be expensive and debilitating. Ten per cent of fatalities are slurry-related – I think an increasing number of farmers are aware of the dangers surrounding slurry and I was surprised that accidents with timber – cutting trees, etc – account for 6% of all deaths. This is far more than accidents arising from electricity faults.

Horrifying

We were shown two horrifying videos of where the result of farm accidents really came home to us. I left with a resolution to do a full check-up on the potential danger spots so as to anticipate any problems but then, probably the impetuosity and enthusiasm of youth has been replaced by the caution and experience of age.