Editorial: attitude to risk must change if progress is to be made on farm safety

Farming remains one of Ireland’s most dangerous professions. There were 178 farm fatalities between 2016 and 2025 Some 40% of these deaths were caused by tractors and farm vehicles such as quads, while 21% involved livestock.

The fatalities tend to be in older people, with 134 aged over 55. These figures do not include the thousands of farm accidents that take place every year, with some of these causing life changing injuries.

Accidents will always happen, but farmers need to take responsibility for actions, being risk conscious and being aware of the dangers on farm. Familiarity means risks aren’t identified and this can lead to accidents.

We sometimes don’t look at mental health as being part of general health but it could be classified as one of the most important areas to keep healthy.

In general, wider society has become better at discussing feelings and mental health, but farming still lags behind in terms of addressing such issues.

It’s a male-dominated profession and men are generally not as good at talking about feelings and mental health as women. Farming can be one of the best jobs in the world when everything is going well.

Fine weather, healthy animals, stable prices and dependable help can make it an almost idyllic profession sometimes.

It can also be a very stressful profession, with heavy work load, paperwork and farm inspections all contributing to anxiety and worry on farms.

Adding in health issues, financial difficulty or relationship issues can test anybody’s coping mechanisms.

Reaching out for support can be hard but it’s one of the first steps in dealing with stress and poor mental health. Taking regular breaks or getting a break away from the farm even for a few hours can help you see the bigger picture and add some context to the issues you are experiencing.

When the day is busy, farmers can sometimes forget about eating. If you don’t fill a tractor with diesel, it will stop and the human body is very similar. Eating well is very important to enable the body both mentally and physically to perform well.