SERENA Gibbons, Education Officer Teagasc, and Aswathi Surendran, School of Psychology, University of Galway hold a video on ‘Farm Vehicle Safety and Blind Spots’ in Teagasc, Athenry, which was launched by Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Farm Safety, Mr Martin Heydon. Also pictured are Dr Denis O’Hora, University of Galway, John McNamara and Francis Bligh, both Teagasc Health & Safety Specialists. Photos: Ray Ryan

Keeping safe

Farm Vehicle Safety and Blind Spots video launched

MINISTER of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Farm Safety, Martin Heydon, launched a video titled Farm Vehicle Safety and Blind Spots in Teagasc, Athenry, last Thursday.

The video is part of the Managing Farm Health and Safety series produced by Teagasc in association with FBD Insurance and the Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee to the Health and Safety Authority.

Speaking at the demonstration, Minister Heydon said: “This video and the practical demonstrations, which will be provided at training courses and events, clearly highlight the risks associated with farm vehicle movement, particularly in confined farmyards.

“Farm safety is about understanding the risks and taking practical steps to minimise the risk of injury. I urge every farmer to take a look at their yards, to identify blind spots, and before any task is undertaken with heavy machinery consider if the necessary safety precautions have been taken.

“By identifying and assessing hazards and putting measures in place to eliminate them we can reduce the unacceptably high numbers of injuries and death on Irish farms,” he said…

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