Farm health and safety event for Macroom

TEAGASC Cork West will hold a Farm Health & Safety awareness event at Macroom Mart on Wednesday next, November 20th, at 2.30pm.

Locally-based Teagasc drystock advisor Anthony Dineen said that the Health & Safety event is planned to highlight key practical issues which will help to prevent fatal and serious accidents on farms in the region.

The Health & Safety event takes place against the background of an increasing trend in farm deaths during 2019. Up until the end of October, this year, there had been 16 deaths on Irish farms, compared with a total of 15 on-farm deaths during all of 2018. Sadly, a number of these have been in the West Cork region.

Wednesday’s event will focus on farm safety issues such as: • New regulations and licencing laws applying to the road use of tractors, trailers and implements. The Garda traffic corps will be on hand to give practical advice on these new regulations.

• Farm Machinery is one of the main contributors to, both fatal and non-fatal, farm accidents. The dangers associated with tractors, the visibility of tractors and people being knocked down or crushed, and around, farmyards will be demonstrated at this event.

• Risks associated in handling livestock. A lot of handling of cattle takes place at this time of the year and adequate facilities are needed to handle cattle safely.

• Health & Safety Authority (HSA) staff will be present to describe how to avoid accidents when working at heights, and safety with slurry.

• Teagasc staff will present practical aspects when using chainsaws and the correct protective wear to use.

• A farm safety demonstration was held in conjunction with AgriKidsTM recently in Clondrohid National School. The winning farm safety posters from this demo will be on display at the farm safety event on the 20th.

Representatives will be present from the HSA, Teagasc Cork West, An Garda Síochána, FBD and West Cork Development Partnership to discuss aspects of health and safety.