I recently experienced a scary incident while out and about near the coast where I live.

I noticed some smoke in the distance but didn’t take much notice of it. I was far too busy enjoying the sights of the coast. A few minutes later I heard the sound of sirens and I soon realised that it could be related to the smoke I saw and might be more serious than I thought. With curiosity getting the better of me, I decided to go back to my car and drive to where the smoke was coming from. To my horror I saw a combine harvester in a field, engulfed in flames with a good bit of the wheat field burned around it.

Immediately you think of the worse case scenario. To my relief I soon found out that the driver of the combine had escaped unharmed. With all the recent hot weather, the dry debris inside the combine had become so hot that it caught fire. Combine harvesters catching fire have been happening all over the country, due to the exceptional dry and hot weather.

The scene I recently witnessed when a combine harvester caught fire 

As this is the time of year when machines are busy with the harvest and in the garden, it is important that farm and garden safety should be to the forefront of each individual’s mind when operating such machines and equipment.

There is a major campaign within the agricultural industry for farm safety. The government has undertaken to invest over €1 million for the purchase of farm machinery simulators for agricultural colleges. These simulators will show students the safe way to operate various types of machinery, without the dangers of operating them in real life. This is a step in the right direction to help reduce machine accidents.

Dealers and distributors also have a responsibility to show and encourage their customers the safe operation and maintenance of farm and garden machines. Vehicles and machinery are the main cause of farm accidents in Ireland, accounting for approx. 50% of all farm deaths, of which approx. 55% are tractor related so we do have an important role to play when it comes to farm safety.

Safety awareness should first begin at the dealership premises, especially in the workshop area, which is the most likely place where accidents will occur. Make sure that the company safety statement is up to date. It should be revised every year where accidents and near misses that have occurred in the previous twelve months are recorded. More importantly, the actions taken to reduce the risk of these accidents happening again should be recorded in the safety statement. A designated safety officer should also be appointed.

Check that your fire extinguishers are properly maintained and that regular training is given on how to operate them. Organising first aid courses from time to time are always beneficial. 

In my previous place of work there was a sheet left on the office counter where each employee had to write their name each morning, along with their time of arrival. Initially I thought that this was management’s way of keeping an eye on our attendance and time keeping. It was actually used to ensure that, in the event of a fire or accident, a list of everyone in the building that day was at hand and could be checked for anyone that could be missing. 

Let’s make the rest of the summer a safe one