The COVID-19 pandemic presented farm families with a new set of challenges that required a focus on staying safe, not just for immediate family members, but for all those who interact with farmers on a frequent basis.

I want to commend everybody who has made a huge effort to safeguard each other and who has worked to maintain a supply of food since the outbreak of the pandemic.

It’s the eighth annual Farm Safety Week, which aims to reduce the number of accidents on farms and bring about a change in culture that makes unsafe practices socially unacceptable.

Farm Safety Week is supported by a number of agencies, including the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and members of the Farm Safety Partnership advisory committee.

Theme

The 2020 theme as devised by Yellow Wellies UK is “It’s Time to Take Safety Seriously”.

While we want everybody to think about farm safety next week, it’s something that should stay with everybody, every day.

We have had 14 farm fatalities already this year, with older people and children still high-risk groups.

For older farmers, the main issues are the quick onset of fatigue, reduced vision and slower reaction time.

For children, simply not realising the dangers of the farmyard remains the biggest threat to their safety.

Farm families have to take the time to explain the risks to children and ensure they are extra vigilant when young people are on farms.

The roll-out of the farmer-to-farmer peer learning has been delayed due to COVID-19.

Training had been due to start in April. This training was being facilitated by the HSA and IFA Skillnet, divided between class room and the farmyard.

While we will get beyond COVID-19, safety has to stay with us all the time.

Read more

Farm safety inspection blitz in two weeks

Watch: Farm Tech Talk - grass quality, herd health and farm safety