How quickly time passes by.

It seems like only yesterday that I was putting the Christmas decorations away and now we are almost at the end of May. In one month the days will be getting shorter. What a sobering thought - where are the days disappearing to?

It is this time of year when agricultural and horticultural machines are in full swing, which highlights how busy everyone is in this industry. With all of this activity going on one must be mindful of health and safety in the work place. It is very easy, in order to make as much money as possible, to lose concentration and to cut corners.

This came home to me recently when I read in my local newspaper of a young man killed at work. He was only 23 years of age. I did not know him personally, but he lived not too far from where I live. The sad thing for me was that he was the same age as one of my sons. How devastated his parents must have been on getting the terrible news. I don’t know how I could deal with such a distressing tragedy.

Unfortunately, it is a sad fact of life, that more people will be killed at work before the year is over. Figures from the Health & Safety Authority (HSA) show that, in 2018, thirty seven people lost their lives in work related accidents. The farming sector, which also includes the sportsturf and groundcare sector, had fifteen fatalities, which accounts for 41% of the total killed. This is still far too many for a sector that employs only 6% of the workforce.

One item of hope in these figures is that the total number of fatalities was reduced by 23% from the 2017 figures and is the lowest number of fatalities since the establishment of the HSA in 1989. We are improving, which is good news.

However, that is no consolation to the thirty seven bereaved families. It would be wonderful to see these figures drop even further in 2019.

Always be safety aware when working on the farm or maintaining those football pitches and golf courses. The usual suspects of danger always crop up - unguarded pto shafts; fumes from slurry tanks; loaders and rotating mower blades.

Dealers also need to be safety aware, particularly in the workshop while carrying out repairs and service. Check that everything works correctly, especially when standing under a raised machine and working a forklift. If you are the owner of a workshop, check that everything is in order and have your staff trained to be aware of workplace dangers and accidents.

The annual review of your Safety Statement should always be carried out. One part of this, which is often overlooked, is that ‘Near Misses’ must be reported and noted in the Safety Statement. A near miss is when an accident happens but no injuries occur. It could be something simple like something heavy falling off a wall beside a person standing close by. This must be reported and actions taken so that it won’t happen again. If not, the next time it happens someone may be underneath.

Be safety aware. Safe and healthy employees are the backbone of any successful business.