Farm Safety Week 2022 Ireland / UK Joint Campaign

‘Let’s make a change. Now!’

This week will mark the tenth annual ‘Farm Safety Week’ of events organised jointly between the Irish Farmer’s Association (IFA) and the the UK’s Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies)

Traditionally, the summer months (silage- harvesting) are notoriously the most dangerous time for work related accidents on Irish / UK farms. This year, Ireland & the UK have teamed up to highlight risk awareness and promote safe working practice on farms.

Working with and transporting agricultural machinery and handling livestock (including calving time), still represent the greatest elements of risk of accidents and serious injury. Children are also most prone to falls / injuries on family farms as well as elderly farmers & relatives.

The agricultural sector in Ireland (North & South) accounts for a larger proportion of workplace deaths in comparison to the national industry average.

Agriculture makes up 6% of national workforce but it starkly accounts for nearly 50% of nationwide workplace deaths! To date in 2022, there have been 6 fatalities from farming accidents.

To promote the dangers and highlight awareness of farm safety issues, a series of events have been planned for this week including:

• Monday 18^th – Launch/ Accident Statistics.
• Tuesday 19^th – Childhood Safety;
• Wednesday 20^th – Farm safety champions and farm accident survivors;
• Thursday 21^st -Respiratory health;
• Friday 22^nd – Mental health awareness

Farm Safety (Silage – Harvesting Season) 2022

A joint campaign between the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Axa and Agriland Media Group is raising awareness about farm safety around this crucuial time in the farming calender.

Particular areas of focus include;

• Preperation & planning pre-harvesting – Health & Safety Authority ‘Farm Safety Code of Practice’
• Protection of children in the farmyard
• Farmyard maintenance & safety checks
• Silage pit maintenance & safety checks
• Farm Machinery safety checks
• Road worthiness of agricultural machinery
• Safety / awareness operating machinery in the field
• Baled Silage – Safety precautions around , baling, transporting and stacking round bales.

Read the full article HERE