The latest ‘PTO Safety Week’ takes off today to remind farmers of the risks from poorly guarded PTO shafts.
Supported by the Farm Safety Partnership and in association with local farm machinery dealers, the initiative aims to encourage farmers to check their guards and replace or repair them where necessary.
More than 40 participating dealers across Northern Ireland will offer a 15% discount on new PTO guards purchased from today through to Saturday 27 September. Some outlets will also provide free PTO fitting and repairs, so contact your dealer to find out what’s on offer.
Officers from the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) will also visit farms throughout the week to ensure that proper action is being taken to reduce the very real dangers from poorly guarded or unguarded PTOs. In addition, if any farmer wishes to arrange a visit to their farm for free safety advice and information, they should call the HSENI helpline on: 0800 0320 121.
During the week HSENI staff will also revisit farms where evidence of unacceptable PTO guarding has been found in the past to ensure that proper safety measures have now been put in place.
Urging farmers to take action against the dangers poorly guarded PTOs, Head of HSENI’s farm safety team Malcolm Downey said:
“Everyone involved in farming knows how dangerous PTO shafts can be. If not properly guarded they can maim or kill in seconds. So, while it is encouraging to see that many farmers have already taken action to reduce the danger, it is frustrating to still see unguarded or poorly guarded PTO shafts as a common and unnecessary risk on many farms. This is not acceptable and farmers need to act now to eliminate this obvious danger on their farms.”
Accidents involving equipment such as PTOs is one of four areas targeted by the Farm Safety Partnership’s new farm safety campaign, ‘Stop and Think SAFE’.
To find out more about the ‘Stop and Think SAFE’ campaign, or for advice about working safely with farm machinery, please contact the HSENI helpline on: 0800 0320 121 or visit: http://www.hseni.gov.uk/farmsafe
A list of the dealers involved in the scheme is published below. If more dealers would like to participate in the discount scheme, they should contact the Ulster Farmers’ Union on: 028 9037 0222.
Ulster Farmers’ Union – Picture Cliff Donaldson
Union places PTO safety to fore
In an attempt to encourage farmers to STOP and THINK about the dangers of unguarded or poorly guarded PTOs the Farm Safety Partnership in association with local farm machinery dealers, is launching a new ‘PTO Safety Week’ on Monday 22 September.
To support this latest farm safety drive, local participating dealers will be offering a 15% discount on new PTO shaft guards purchased during the week – Monday 22 to Saturday 27 September.
UFU deputy president Barclay Bell said: “I am encouraging farmers to get involved and avail of the 15% discount being offered on new PTO shaft guards. Unguarded PTO shafts remain a common issue on farms which is obviously extremely concerning given the real and serious danger this poses.
“This is a great opportunity for farmers and I would encourage farmers to check that all PTOs on their farms are safe to use and protected by high quality PTO guards. We believe that farm safety involves everyone connected to the farming industry and we all need to play our part if we want to put a stop to the number of deaths and accidents happening on farms.”
A list of participating dealers involved in ‘PTO Safety Week’ is as follows:
County Antrim
Thomas McKeever, 91 Largy Road, Portglenone, BT44 8BZ
Heron Agri, 37 Pillar Brae Road, Ballymena
Reas of Finvoy, 191 Finvoy Road, Ballymoney, BT53 7JS
Erwin Agri Care, 82 Nutts Corner Road, Crumlin, BT29 5SJ
George Hamilton Machinery, 100 Barnish Road, Randalstown, BT41 2NL
John Laverty, 37 Carrowreagh Road, Armoy, BT53 8SZ
David Christie & Son, 16 Greenhill Road, Ballymoney, BT53 6LZ
Hunter Kane & Son, 31 Lagavara Road, Ballintoy, BT54 6NG
David McCallum, 40 Castlenagree Road, Bushmills
Gerard Kennedy Machinery, 133 Tullaghan’s Road, Dunloy, BT44 9EA
County Armagh
Burkes of Cornascriebe, 151 Markethill Road, Portadown, BT62 3SL
Ben Sergeant, 60 Foy Lane, Portadown, BT62 1PN
HFS Engineering, 20 Dorsey Road, Newtownhamilton, BT35 0QA
RG Brown & Co, 20 Millvale Road, Bessbrook, BT35 7NH
County Down
Brian McAlerney, 20 Clanmaghery Road, Ballyward, Castlewellan, BT31 9RR
Henry Porter Tractors, 46 St James Road, Hillsborough, BT26 6JT
Johnson Gilpin & Co Ltd, 7b Lisnoe Road, Lisburn, BT27 5LT
Peter Quinn Farm Machinery, 230 Main Road, Cloughey, BT22 1JB
Stanley Patterson 3 Black’s Lane, Ballynahinch, BT24 8UT
GA Allen (Neil Allen), 131 Grovehill Road, Banbridge, BT32 5AB
Montgomery Tractors, 51 Drumaknockan Road,Hillsborough, BT26 6QP
Alan Milne Tractors,129 Ballynahinch Road, Carryduff, BT8 8EJ
Dieci Ltd, 245 Armagh Road, Newry, BT35 6NL
William Lindsay, 18a Ringduffern Road, Downpatrick, BT30 9PH
County Fermanagh
McDonagh Engineering, Drumbane, Kesh, BT93 1SQ
McCullagh Machinery, Derrylin Road, Bellanaleck
Fred Dunn, Ardunshin, Brookeborough, BT94 4EH
Walmsley Tractors, 67 Manoo Road, Kesh, BT93 1TL
County Londonderry/Derry
Douglas Hamilton,125 Ballyronan Road, Magherafelt, BT45 6HP
Derek Wilson, 85 Springhill Road, Moneymore, BT45 7NN
Mervyn Hanna, 57 Magherafelt Road, Draperstown, BT45 7JT
DA Forgie, 16 Seacoast Road, Limavady, BT49 9DW
Riddell Bros, 64 Carricknakielt Road, Maghera, BT46 5EJ
Howard Fulton Tractors, 68 Dernaflow Road, Dungiven, BT47 4PR
WJ O’Brien & Son, 5 Station Road, Eglinton, BT47 3PR
County Tyrone
Sayers Machinery Services, 22 Spout Road, Strabane, BT82 8NA
RJ Rutledge, 97 Drumquin Road, Castlederg, BT81 7RB
Alexander Mills, 43 Main Street, Benburb, BT71 7JY
Richard McAllister, 12 Knockaleery Road, Cookstown, BT80 9EA
McCord Machinery,17 Moveagh Road, Cookstown, BT80 9HE
Jack Taggart, 1 Carnkenny Road, Omagh, BT78 4LN
(Source – Farming Life – 22/09/2014)