Vice-president of the European Parliament Mairead McGuinness has suggested that it should be obligatory for all quad bikes to be sold with helmets to help improve farm safety.

“Machinery and livestock are the two killers … now I’m looking at a quad bike over there, why isn’t it obligatory that when someone is buying a quad they buy a helmet?

"It would be a good start. They mightn’t wear the helmet but at least they’ve been given the helmet,” McGuinness told the Irish Farmers Journal.

She was speaking at the fifth annual Farm Safety Live demonstration at Tullamore Show on Sunday, organised by FRS, FBD and the Health and Safety Authority.

“We have an appalling track record in terms of the number of people who have serious accidents and who are killed on farms,” McGuinness said.

“The statistic for July is that six people lost their lives on Irish farms. Now they were probably here at Tullamore Show last year. They’re not with us now and they’re not with us because their farmyard or fields killed them.”

The demonstration was a free event at the show and focused on the four main areas of livestock handling, quad bikes, tractor and PTO safety, and working from heights.

Drought and stress

McGuinness also emphasised how farm safety could be impaired as weather-related pressure affected farmers’ mental and physical wellbeing.

“You’d be worried about all people who are trying to produce, whether it’s livestock or vegetables, because it’s been a rotten time for them,” McGuinness said.

“Please ask for help if you need it, whether it’s at a practical level or for mental health. If you’re stressed or worried, ask somebody for help. Don’t go through it on your own - it’s just not wise."

“I’ve been fascinated by the number of women contacting me from family farms because I think probably women feel the stress that the farmer may be under if they’re not farming themselves. They know it and they know sometimes that farmers aren’t good talkers and they’re ringing for help, so maybe that’s a particular warning sign to us of how difficult things are on our family farms.

“I think when we start back at the end of August with our [European] Committee, one of the issues that will have to be on our agenda are these unpredictable weather patterns that impact on farmers and food supply.”

Read more

Embrace Farm launches all-island tractor drive

Farmer Writes: 2018 is a mentally draining year