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A new safety initiative will see farmers learn from each other on practical measures to reduce risk on their farms.
The initiative, which is currently in a pilot stage, will be rolled out by the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) in 2019.
IFA’s health and safety executive William Shortall said: “There were 15 farm fatalities in 2018, which is a stark message that we have more to do in this area. The peer-to-peer initiative is about encouraging farmers to undertake practical measures that will reduce the risk on their own farm.”
To date, the IFA has visited over 60 farms across a mixture of enterprises and sizes in counties Tipperary, Clare, Wexford, Kildare and Limerick during the last three months of 2018.
In the pilot scheme, groups consisted of between three and five voluntary members.
These members met in one yard where a discussion took place of any "near miss" which may have occurred in the last 12 to 18 months.
Safety focushe
An overview is also given of who lives and works on the farm and what activities take place in the farmyard. A walk of the farm then takes place, focusing on livestock housing and handling unit, machinery, farmyard and workshop.
The particular farmer is given a "pros and cons" document to fill out based on what the group observes around the farm.
The farmer then chooses one item or behaviour they will change before the group reconvenes. This process is repeated on each of the individual farms in the group.
Emphasis is placed on co-operation between farmers at busy times of the year and when carrying out dangerous tasks.
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