Rural group highlights farm safety

Editorial Department • Published 16 Feb 2012 13:00 0 Comments

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A rural group is to highlight the dangers of working on farms by organising a seminar next week.

Drumskinney Rural Action Group will be hosting the event at Monaghans of the Cross in Drumskinney on Thursday evening next, February 23 at 8pm.

During the past 12 months an alarming number of deaths and injuries have occurred in Northern Ireland as a result of farm related accidents and the Drumskinney Group will be highlighting these at their seminar.

Brian Pryce of the Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland will be giving the presentation.

The Drumskinney group says the topic is very timely as farming activities become busier in the months ahead.

Meanwhile the HSENI has highlighted the dangers on farms after a farm worker was killed while attempting to change a wheel on a slurry tanker, following a puncture. This tragic accident involved a single axle 1600-gallon slurry tanker loaded with slurry and weighing over nine tonnes which was attached to a tractor.

The farm worker was in the process of changing the wheel using a bottle jack and blocks of wood as props to support the slurry tanker when it overturned and crushed him.

Sean Keogh, from HSENI said, "When it comes to changing wheels on heavy agricultural machinery such as slurry tankers we would strongly advise that only persons who have the right equipment should tackle this work. Often this will mean the farmer engaging a competent contractor."

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 16 Feb 12

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