Farmers Respond to Safety Initiative

26 March 2004

Over 5,000 farmers have attended special farm safety courses run by Teagasc over the past three months.

This unprecedented demand for Teagasc services follows the circulation last November of the simplified Farm Safety Self-Assessment document by the Health and Safety Authority to all farmers.

According to Teagasc Health and Safety specialists, Frank Laffey and John McNamara, the document has heightened awareness in farm safety and has provided a major stimulus to many farmers to assess their safety standards and practices.

Speaking in advance of Farm Safety Week, which gets underway on Monday 29 March, the Teagasc specialists said the purpose of the new document is to assist farmers to implement key control measures in practices known to cause death or serious injury.

They urged all other farmers to use the opportunity of farm safety week to complete the safety checklist.

“Through special training courses and other activities, Teagasc is offering assistance to all farmers in preparing the self-assessment document or, where workers are employed, the full safety statement. The 35,000 farmers who are participating in the Teagasc intensive advisory programme are an immediate priority group,” they said.

They pointed to recent research in Denmark which showed that attending a training course and completing a safety assessment led to a reduction of 46% in the level of accidents requiring medical attention.

“Attending a safety course and interacting with other farmers gives the motivation to adopt health and safety practices and the confidence to complete the safety assessment,” said the Teagasc experts.

Frank Laffey, who is also Chairman of the National Farm Safety Partnership, welcomed the inclusion by the Department of Agriculture and Food of safety features, such as cattle handling facilities and safety access manhole covers for slurry tanks, for grant-aid under the recently announced capital grant schemes. He said a separate farm safety scheme covering all health and safety issues on the farm should be considered.