NOCA research highlights that Monday is the day of the week most farmers arrive in trauma units
Today (Monday) marks the start of the eighth annual Farm Safety Week UK & Ireland, an initiative led by Yellow Wellies UK and the IFA in Ireland. The campaign aims to reduce the number of accidents on farms and bring about a change in culture that makes unsafe practices socially unacceptable. The message for this year’s campaign is: It’s time to take safety seriously.
Farm Safety Week (FSW) is supported by several agencies, including the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and members of the Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee.
To coincide with this year’s FSW, a research paper entitled “Trauma on Farms in the Republic of Ireland” written by Dr Michael Sheehan, Dr Conor Deasy and Louise Brent was published.
The paper was a study of the data collected as part of the Major Trauma Audit at the National Office of Clinical Audit. The paper, which examines the period 2014-2016, is the first significant study concerning this topic in Ireland.
Key findings include:
- In the years 2014 through 2016, 430 patients met the Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) and Major Trauma Audit (MTA) inclusion criteria where the incident location was a farm.
- The median age of patients was 54.5 years; the patients ranged in age from less than one year old to 93 years of age.
- Falls of less than two meters (low falls) caused a quarter of major trauma in those under 65 years of age, and low falls make up almost one-third of patients over 65 years old.
- 33% of paediatric patients presented as a result of a ‘blow’, 26% due to a vehicle incident and 19% as a result of a fall less than two metres.
- Peaks of attendances occurred at busy times of the year for farmers, in March and July.
- Most patients arrived on a Monday (16.3%).
- Farm trauma patients were more likely to arrive by helicopter (6%) than other MTA patients
- Current data indicate that dairy farming is the most dangerous type of farming in the Republic of Ireland.
- Agriculture workers suffer more than twice as many non-fatal workplace injuries as workers in other sectors.
Farming continues to have one of the most inadequate safety records of any sector in Ireland. Last year, 19 people lost their lives in farm accidents. Fourteen people lost their lives so far in 2020.
Reacting to these figures, IFA President Tim Cullinan said: “Understanding the risks on and around a farm operation makes it easier to avoid dangers, and makes accidents less likely. However, all too often, farmers do not recognise the risks on their farms, which makes it difficult to manage the problem. Farmers have to be more careful, take their time and think about what could go wrong before they undertake any job (regardless of how small or simple they might perceive it to be), a single death is a death too many”.
Dr Conor Deasy, Clinical Lead of Major Trauma Audit, NOCA, said, “The National Office of Clinical Audit teamed up with Dr Michael Sheehan, a farmer and Emergency Medicine doctor to perform this study. It shows the importance of farmers engaging with health and safety practices to prevent accidents occurring. The major traumas we describe result in life-threatening or life-changing injuries and happen twice as much on family farms than in other industries. Of note, farmers who sustain injuries are often older and have other medical problems making their care more complex. Unlike any other industry, the age range of those sustaining injuries on farms included infants to ninety-year olds. Given the devastation associated with these injuries, farming families must think safety first”.
Pat Griffin, Senior Inspector with the Health and Safety Authority, said: “Farm Safety needs to be proactively managed by every farmer and every contractor supported and encouraged by all the major farming organisations. While the H.S.A. can establish the regulatory base and provide detailed information and guidance on how to manage and control the risks, following this guidance is down to everyone in farming taking personal responsibility”.
Gerry Boyle, Director Teagasc said: “Teagasc strongly supports Farm Safety Week. We are particularly concerned with the rise in farm workplace deaths so far in 2020. Farmers perform hazardous work, and many dangers occur on farms daily. Farmers must be alert to dangers and take immediate preventative action. Avoiding haste and fatigue is crucial to prevent farm accidents. During Farm Safety Week, I would urge all farmers to put injury prevention on the top of their list and implement changes to make their farms safer places to work and live for themselves and their families. I also appeal to farmers to maintain COVID-19 prevention guidelines to eliminate this deadly virus”.
For more information on Farm Safety Week, see here or follow @IFAmedia on Twitter using the hashtag #FarmSafetyWeek.
