As we all know farm safety is a topical issue & farmers have the worst accident rate for any profession in the world. Farms are getting bigger, the average herd & flock size is increasing, tractor HP is rising, most farmers now work alone so the pressure to get work done is enormous.
All it takes is for some bad weather for farmers to get behind schedule and they have to work extra-long hours to catch up. Suffering from fatigue they are therefore more prone to serious accidents.
More than half of those killed in accidents on farms last year were aged 65 and over. 24 people died on Irish farms in 2017, an increase of three on the previous year. The Health and Safety Authority says machinery was involved in over half of the accidents last year.
Farm accidents have risen by 13% in the last 5 years and by 31% in the last ten years. This is the stark finding of a national survey of farm accidents by the Teagasc. In the period 2012-2017, 11% of farms had an accident and in total 2,814 accidents occurred.
The survey indicates that 25% of accidents involved farm vehicles or machinery. Chainsaws were involved in 7% of cases so dealer personnel can help reduced these statistics by giving good advice, offering training courses and selling protective head and body wear.
Accidents involving farm vehicles or machinery has more than doubled during this period. The majority of accidents (92%) involved a family member, 80% with the farmer. Twelve per cent involved a spouse or another family member. The remainder involved workers (5%) and others (3%).
Almost all farm accident victims (97%) required medical treatment with 73% attending hospital, a further 19% attended a doctor and 4% received first aid. 30% of accidents resulted in a work absence of more than a month, with 21% for more than two months.
The survey indicates that younger farmers are more likely to have non-fatal accidents. Thirteen per cent of farmers in the 40-50 and 50-60 age brackets suffered an accident, followed by 12% for those below 40 years of age. Nine per cent of farmers aged 60-70 and 7% over 70 years of age suffered a farm accident during the survey.
The average farmer is now 56 years of age so they are at a greater risk as their eyesight, hearing and mobility are impaired with advancing age. Visibility around the large modern tractor is greatly reduced compared to the older, smaller models used in the good old days.
Farmer’s sons and younger farmers act as if death only happens to older people and tend to drive tractors at a higher speed often pulling large slurry tankers or trailers loaded with silage so it’s not unusual to hear of road crashes and tankers turning over on hilly fields.
Quads are popular with both young & older farmers and have now begun to feature in these accident statistics. Unfortunately these tend to be driven too quickly over rough ground, turnover and you have another serious accident. Drivers often are not wearing a helmet and most quads have no roll over bars for protection.
Peter Gohery is a well-known Galway farmer & IFA activist who lost a leg in a PTO accident working with a diet mixer wagon. He was in hospital from October of that year, got home for Christmas and then went to the National Rehabilitation Hospital, where he spent 16 weeks learning to walk again.
Gohery, who is now a qualified Health & Safety consultant said farmers could also reduce the likelihood of farm accidents by taking a number of preventative measures. He said that farm families should complete their risk assessment documents together, identifying the risks and hazards.
“They should consider giving training vouchers for tractor drivers – say to 16-year-olds – before they develop bad driving habits. Training in the use of quad bikes could also be very valuable. All of this is valuable work dealers could do at a profit for their valued customers.
“Make sure PTO shafts are covered and that ‘O’ and ‘U’ guards are in place,” he said. “Too many children have fallen out of tractors, losing their lives as a result, or being left maimed for life. High-powered machinery and young children do not mix – children need to be away from machinery as there are a lot of blind spots around tractors.
He said at the end of the working day, machinery should be reverse parked at a safe stop. All implements should be lowered; the handbrake applied; the equipment turned off; and the keys removed.
“In the morning, check that mirrors and glass are clean to ensure a good view, and that lights are working properly. When it comes to PTO cover shafts, he regrets not getting a more expensive model. He pointed out that he may have saved €20 or €30 at the time, but he now needs a €40,000 prosthetic leg every five years.”
