Farm Safety Awareness Day took place on Tuesday (21/07/2015). To mark the occasion, we asked our readers to send us their advice through social media. Here are the best tips we received. Barry Davie
Follow all rules as they are for your safety. Never trust a PTO, even with a cover, or hydraulic systems including loaders, excavators or even tractor lifts.
Main tip: there is no rewind button in life, we all have one chance to do it safely.
Alan Clarke
The biggest safety tip I have is to not to take on too much on any one particular day. Don’t rush – tomorrow is another day. The man who made time made plenty on it!
Adrian Young
Don’t put yourself in a position or situation you wouldn’t put someone else into.
Seamus Carr
No matter how quiet your animals are, have a policy on the farm to close the main gate going into your yard at all times for security as well safety.
From one week to 10 days before calving and lambing, bring livestock to a nearby holding pen. This will help settle them and get used to human contact before delivery on the off chance you may need to intervene at any stage.
Brian Joyce
When dealing with livestock always plan ahead about what is to be done. Plan escape plans and what to do in the event of an accident.
Always ring the bull and check regularly that it is secure.
Make sure wild livestock are kept in a secure field/pen.
Rena O’Carroll
All family members to have a farm safety walk to highlight hazards and to rectify possible safety flaws.
Mary O’Donnell
Listen to someone with experience when it comes to farming. An experienced farmer knows what might go wrong and how to prevent it due to past experiences. As a young farmer, I may think I’m doing the right thing in the right way but experience almost always wins over.
Roisin Glynn
Be aware of exposed PTO shafts. Keep children off trailers carrying loads. Ventilate well before agitating slurry.
Diarmuid McSweeney
Always notify someone when you are going somewhere and how long you think you will be. This will allow someone to raise the alarm sooner rather than later.
Agridirect
And finally Martin Kennedy of Agridirect flagged this clever new device they are selling at the moment: Safehitch keeps the hydraulic arms in place while hitching equipment at the back of a tractor, removing the need for the driver or a second person to get in and out of the dangerous area between the tractor and equipment during the process.
(Source – Irish Farmers Journal – Aisling Hussey – 22/07/2015)