Twenty-six students from St Brendan’s Community School in Birr, Co Offaly, this week received their Safe Tractor Driver certificates, just some of a 200-strong group of students who undergo training every year.
The programme has been in place since 1995 and was designed to develop tractor driving safety skills of 14-to 16-year-olds.
Provided by the FRS Network, the course covers the theory and practice of tractor handling for on-farm use.
Child deaths
Jim Dockery, national health and safety manager at FRS Network, said a surge in child deaths on farms in the early 1990s prompted the idea for the course: “In 1991 there were 13 children killed on Irish farms. Farming is the only workplace in the country where you have children killed in workplace accidents. We need to get the number of workplace accidents involving children down to zero. There should be no child killed on a farm.” Awarding the students with their certificates on Tuesday was Pat Griffin, senior inpector with the health and safety authority (HSA).
Speak up
He told the students who intend to work with silage contractors this summer not to be afraid to ask questions and speak up if something is amiss.
“This training is critical and I hope it stays with you for life. Tractors and other vehicles on the farm are by far the biggest killer. The only way we are going to change that is by training young people and train them to understand how powerful these machines are.
“If you do start to work with contractors don’t be afraid to ask the question. I’ve investigated several fatalities of very young people who thought they knew everything and tried to impress people. So please ask the question,” he told the students.
Eleanor O’Meara, Fortal, Birr, Co Offaly
“I’m from a 200-cow dairy farm and we’d have a fair bit of machinery on the farm.
“It’s great to know how to be safe on the farm. I now know what all the signs on the dash mean and now if there’s something wrong with the tractor I know what to do. The training we got was definitely better. Your Dad might think you know something but you don’t.”
Morgan Feenane, Fortal, Birr, Co Offaly
“We’d be busy enough this time of year topping and scattering hay for neighbours and I’d love to go work for a contractor this summer – I’m 16 since January. I think contractors will realise that you are responsible enough that you took the time to take the course. We did it over one day in Gurteen and it taught us all to be responsible and not to be stupid on the machine, and to take your time until you get used to it.”
Ben Hough, Rathcabbin, Roscrea, Co Tipperary
“At home we are milking and do a bit of contracting as well. We do everything from slurry, silage, sowing, ploughing to spreading fertiliser and dung.
“I grew up driving tractors but the course was definitely beneficial for reversing and making sure everything is right when you turn off the tractor. From my dad’s point of view hiring people, it’d be no harm having the course done.”
Twenty-six students from St Brendan’s Community School in Birr, Co Offaly, this week received their Safe Tractor Driver certificates, just some of a 200-strong group of students who undergo training every year.
The programme has been in place since 1995 and was designed to develop tractor driving safety skills of 14-to 16-year-olds.
Provided by the FRS Network, the course covers the theory and practice of tractor handling for on-farm use.
Child deaths
Jim Dockery, national health and safety manager at FRS Network, said a surge in child deaths on farms in the early 1990s prompted the idea for the course: “In 1991 there were 13 children killed on Irish farms. Farming is the only workplace in the country where you have children killed in workplace accidents. We need to get the number of workplace accidents involving children down to zero. There should be no child killed on a farm.” Awarding the students with their certificates on Tuesday was Pat Griffin, senior inpector with the health and safety authority (HSA).
Speak up
He told the students who intend to work with silage contractors this summer not to be afraid to ask questions and speak up if something is amiss.
“This training is critical and I hope it stays with you for life. Tractors and other vehicles on the farm are by far the biggest killer. The only way we are going to change that is by training young people and train them to understand how powerful these machines are.
“If you do start to work with contractors don’t be afraid to ask the question. I’ve investigated several fatalities of very young people who thought they knew everything and tried to impress people. So please ask the question,” he told the students.
Eleanor O’Meara, Fortal, Birr, Co Offaly
“I’m from a 200-cow dairy farm and we’d have a fair bit of machinery on the farm.
“It’s great to know how to be safe on the farm. I now know what all the signs on the dash mean and now if there’s something wrong with the tractor I know what to do. The training we got was definitely better. Your Dad might think you know something but you don’t.”
Morgan Feenane, Fortal, Birr, Co Offaly
“We’d be busy enough this time of year topping and scattering hay for neighbours and I’d love to go work for a contractor this summer – I’m 16 since January. I think contractors will realise that you are responsible enough that you took the time to take the course. We did it over one day in Gurteen and it taught us all to be responsible and not to be stupid on the machine, and to take your time until you get used to it.”
Ben Hough, Rathcabbin, Roscrea, Co Tipperary
“At home we are milking and do a bit of contracting as well. We do everything from slurry, silage, sowing, ploughing to spreading fertiliser and dung.
“I grew up driving tractors but the course was definitely beneficial for reversing and making sure everything is right when you turn off the tractor. From my dad’s point of view hiring people, it’d be no harm having the course done.”
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: