Bannon urges focus on farm safety during busy silage season

Fine Gael TD for Longford/Westmeath, James Bannon has urged farmers and farming families to make farm safety a priority during the busy silage cutting season.

“In 2014, 30 people lost their lives in farm related incidents. This constitutes the largest proportion of work place deaths. As the cutting of silage gets underway, it is essential that farmers stick to the letter of the law in relation to farm safety.

“It is particularly important to focus on farm safety during this time when children and more inexperienced people tend to be on the farm and helping out. There have been 22 fatal farm accidents involving children over the past decade and nearly half of these involved children under the age of seven years.

“Farms are unique workplaces in that they are often also homes for farming families. Farms are much busier workplaces now and contain much heavier, faster and more dangerous machinery than they did in years gone by. Farm safety should therefore be discussed regularly on family farms.

“The Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney has put a huge emphasis on farm safety and education. Farm safety has been integrated into many farming schemes and this issue is a key focus of Minister Coveney.

“The Farm Safety Scheme is also being rolled out across the country. Over 3,100 farmers have been granted approval to commence work under the   farm safety scheme. A total of €12.2m has been allocated to this scheme offering a 40% rate of aid, up to a maximum eligible investment ceiling of €20,000.

“The best way to promote farm safety is to take the time to have a five minute chat with everyone who is on the farm on a particular day. It is vital that possible dangers and best practises are discussed to prevent further tragedy for families across the country.”