Farmers' initiative aims to cut accidents

FARMERS INVOLVED in serious accidents have come together to tell their stories to help others avoid the same fate.

Survivor Stories is a series of testimonials, available on DVD and online, where the farmers explain how the accidents occurred and they talk about the impact on their families and friends.

Some 47 people have died in agriculture-related activities over the past two years. According to the Health and Safety Authority, while most farmers understand the hazards of farming, they believe their own farms are safe.

The authority’s senior inspector Pat Griffin said the farmers’ stories were “harrowing” but they also showed a resilience and sense of community that was very strong among farmers.

“These farmers have bravely told their stories so that others can learn from their experiences and avoid the same fate.”

The DVDs will be available to farm groups and training providers.

In one story Irish Farmers’ Association sheep chairman James Murphy tells how his father, who was in his early 70s, was killed by a bull.

The animal was very temperamental but had cost a lot of money so the farmer was trying to get another season out of him before sending him to the factory.

“You have to ask yourself, what value do you put on your own life?” Mr Murphy says.

Drystock farmer Dominic Leonard talks about being crushed against a wall by a cow that had recently calved.

He received serious head injuries before making his way into his house and collapsing. His six-year-old child found him in a pool of blood.

He was in hospital for four months, and says the accident had a huge effect on his wife who had to cope with a young family and the farm work.

Farmer Peter Gohery tells how he was caught up in an unprotected power take-off shaft.

The shaft transfers power from the tractor engine to different types of equipment attached to the tractor.

He describe how the shaft caught a loose piece of his overalls. It amputated his leg and broke his arm.

He says local garages struggled to keep up with the demand for protective covers after the accident as neighbours realised the danger of unprotected shafts.

The testimonials have been compiled by the Health and Safety Authority with the Farm Safety Partnership and Macra Na Feirme.

The Health and Safety Authority said the number of fatal and serious farm accidents was “shocking and disproportionately high”.

The stories can be viewed online at iti.ms/wBGHRM