As the summer days get longer, temperatures (hopefully) begin to rise, and children are on their school holidays, John Fitzpatrick, Laois IFA chairman, describes how this time of year presents its own particular risks on farms.
He outlines the steps we should all take to ensure the entire family stays safe on the farm this summer.
“While children look forward to being home on the farm for the summer, now is an important time to have conversations about safety,” he said.
“Tell them about the dangers and set the rules. But don’t expect a child to take on the responsibility of keeping themselves safe. Children do not understand risk.
“Farms can be family homes as well as workplaces, with children often present. Tragically, between 2011 and 2020, in Ireland, 21 children lost their lives due to farm accidents.
“Summer is a hazardous time for children on farms as they’re off school and are about more when work activity is running at a very high level – often with contractors on-site operating potentially dangerous vehicles and machinery.
“Every possible step must be taken to reduce the number of fatalities each year on Irish farms. The first step is educating people, especially children.
“If we can instil in their minds, from an early age, an awareness of the dangers on the farm and help them form good farm safety habits, that lesson will be with them for a lifetime.
Fitzpatrick also insists that there is an onus on machinery and tractor drivers to take a safe approach while working these heavy machines and also an onus on cyclists and walkers to be viligiant while using rural roads and be seen using a hi vis jacket.
Additionally, the IFA and HSE’s National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) have teamed up to encourage farmers to be SunSmart and to protect their skin from the sun to reduce their risk of skin cancer.
“Farmers are exposed to 2-3 times more UV radiation from the sun compared with people who work indoors, putting them at a higher risk of skin cancer,” added Fitzpatrick.
“To reduce the risk of skin damage, farmers should organise their day so that you are in the shade when UV rays are strongest from 11am to 3pm,” he said.
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in Ireland, with over 13,000 new cases diagnosed every year. Nine out of every 10 cases are caused by UV rays from the sun or sunbeds.
“Don’t just wait for hot and sunny days to use sun protection – UV from the sun is damaging, even on cool, cloudy days.
“It is important to protect skin from April to September as you cannot see or feel the UV rays which cause damage to the skin.”
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