Billy O’Dwyer Farm Machinery open days
FTMTA member firm Billy O’Dwyer Farm Machinery will hold two open days at the firm’s premises at Casteletown, Thurles, Co Tipperary, on Saturday and Sunday, 17 and 18 June, from 2pm to 8pm.
The firm is the importer and distributor of the Hattat range of tractors and will launch the new Hattat 4000 series and the Hattat 240S tractor during the open days. Also on display over the two days will be a wide range of machinery from a number of suppliers including Rossmore, Malone, Rakeman and Cavan Agri. The firm will have special offers over the two days on a variety of parts including PTO shafts, euro hitches, slurry hoses, filters, haybob gates and plough parts.
Farm safety
A new report, Risk Taking and Accidents on Irish Farms, published recently by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), highlights yet again that farming is the occupation with the highest risk of fatalities in Ireland, with a rate nearly 10 times the average in the wider economy between 2009 and 2015. Dorothy Watson, an author of the report, said that “the results highlight the significance of getting help with difficult jobs and checking machinery in reducing the risk of accidents in farming. Future policies should emphasise the importance of getting help with difficult tasks on the farm, as the research indicated that failing to do so is associated with a higher risk of accidents and near misses.”
Unfortunately, there has been a significant rise in the number of farm accident fatalities during the first half of 2017, with a number in recent weeks. The FTMTA reiterates calls made by the association over the years for those involved in working with agricultural machinery to be conscious of, and proactive in relation to, the safety of themselves and others. The association calls on those active in agriculture and using agricultural machinery to be mindful of their safety and that of other people. Some small and practical steps can easily be taken to make the everyday use of farm machinery safer. Among other points, you should:
Clearly understand what all controls do and how to use them before you operate a tractor or any machine.Make sure that the handbrake is working before you start any self-propelled machine.Check that nobody around the machine is in danger before moving off and be aware of others at all times.Ensure that brakes and steering operate correctly.Machinery should only be used for the purpose for which it was designed and in the fashion for which it was built. Embrace Farm
The now annual Embrace Farm Accident Ecumenical Remembrance Service will be held at the Church of the Most Holy Rosary in Abbeyleix, Co Laois, on Sunday, 25 June, at 2pm. The service will remember those who have died or suffered serious injury through farm accidents.
Embrace Farm can be contacted at embrace.farm@gmail.com or at 085-770 9966.
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