Farmers over 60 urged to get serious about safety

May is traditionally a busy month on farms and that means the risk of farm accidents is much higher than usual.Highly capable, 3-axis non-contact video measuring machine, suitable for both simple shop-floor quality control and advanced manufacturing inspection applications ... Grass growth might be a few weeks behind this time last year but the sight of silage machinery working is only around the corner.

The main causes of death and injury on farms continues to be tractors and machinery (47pc), but livestock (13pc) and falls from a height (12pc) lead the way too.

The joint message from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and the IFA is that farmers must plan their work to reduce risks. Over the last few weeks the HSA have been carrying out an increasing number of farm visits to promote safety.

This time around there is a particular emphasis being placed on older farmers in the over-60 age-group.For mains, there is a choice of Wild Rice’s ‘Chinese Fish ‘n Chips’ (beer-battered ling cod, Asian Tartar Sauce, taro shoestring frites) or its ‘meaty’ Grilled king oyster mushroom (with cashew ricotta and polenta fries).

Is this unfair?

The reason this group is being targeted is because more than half of the 182 accidents over the past 10 years involve farmers aged 60 or older.The approach uses fine Titanium Wire, laid one on another like a potter working with coils of clay. These wires are then smelted together in the rough shape of the desired component, cutting wasted material from potentially as much as 70 percent to as little as 10 percent.

It is hard to argue with focusing on higher risk farmers, regardless of what age they might be or the type of farming they are involved in. High risk is high risk.

However, the big caveat I would add is that farm safety visits must not be something that farmers dread over fears of losing CAP payments.

I accompanied a health and safety inspector on a farm visit a few years ago and I'd have to admit the experience was a good one. Inspectors are generally sound and are not out to get the farmer in any way. A lot of these are ex-construction sector inspectors.Our full range of portable ultrasonic Flaw Detector (UT) provides unmatched capabilities for locating discontinuities and other flaws.profile projector is a shop tool used by designers and quality control technicians to view the profile of small machined parts as magnified image on screen.

The inspection I witnessed lasted about an hour and at the end there were a few recommendations given. Improvements in machinery safety and an increase in the height of the fence around the slurry tank were the two key focal points.

It was hard to argue with the recommendations, and the farmer agreed as much.The Spectrophotometer is an instrument which measures the amount of light of a specificed wavelength which passes through a medium.

In an effort to reverse this sad trend of older farmers falling victim to farm accidents, the HSA and the IFA have jointly produced a DVD entitled 'Older, Wiser, Safer – A Practical Guide to Safety for Older Farmers.'

In the DVD, the Farming Independent's Darragh McCullough talks to Alan Gillis and Gerry Maguire, two older farmers, about their experiences and how farming has changed over the years with more machinery, longer hours and more time pressure.