A bad farm accident can be an extremely frightening and stressful experience. The way you deal with the aftermath of an accident could be the difference between life and death.

It is something no one wants to think about but being up to speed on how to react could make all the difference at some point in your life.

The Irish Farmers Journal recently talked to Kieran Henry, an operations manager with the National Ambulance Service.

Experience

Kieran has over 25 years’ experience working in the ambulance service, including air ambulance and in that time he has responded to hundreds of farm-related accidents.

Here, Kieran shares some useful advice to help people who are the first on the scene when it comes to a farm-related accident.

Call the emergency services

If you happen on a farm accident you should phone the emergency services as soon as possible. The numbers to call are 999 or 112. Try to give the call-taker as much information as possible. They will ask a series of questions and they will need to know the location of the incident so that ambulance crews and other emergency services can respond as soon as possible. Having the Eircode of the property’s location will help a lot. Every householder should have received their Eircode already in the post. If this is not available you can find your Eircode online using the Eircode finder at https://www.eircode.ie/ The call-taker who is based at the National Emergency Operations Centre is trained in how to deal with all types of emergency situations and will talk you through what to do next. Providing as much information as possible will help the call-taker to advise you on any immediate action to take as soon as possible.

Assess the situation

Next you should assess the situation and ensure it is safe. Kieran says this can be difficult to do for most people as human nature would usually compel you to run straight to the casualty. “It is so important to make sure that you are safe because the danger might still be present,” Kieran explains. He says you have to be aware of your own safety and ask the questions – is there a danger of slurry gas, electrocution, an animal still loose, etc? You should also be mindful that the casualty might have taken a fall from a height. You should only approach the person once you are fully aware of the circumstances and you are confident it is safe to do so. Sometimes it might be a case of switching off machinery or closing a gate before approaching.

Assist the person (if safe to do so)

Kieran says every incident is different and it is difficult to give broad advice that might work in one situation but may not be the correct thing to do in another. If it is safe to approach the injured party, go over while on the phone to the emergency services. “Control any bleeding and check for breathing,” is a common phrase used by emergency personnel, according to Kieran.

If the person is bleeding you should hold a piece of clean cloth against the wound and apply pressure to limit the blood loss. If the person is not breathing, you might be instructed to commence CPR. The Health Service Executive has some good advice on using CPR for adults and children, as outlined below. Continue to aid and comfort the person as best you can while waiting for the emergency services. You should remain on the phone to the emergency call taker until the paramedics arrive to deal with the situation.

For adults

If you know how to do CPR:

  • Place your hands on the centre of the person’s chest and, with the heel of your hand, press down (4cm to 5cm) at a steady rate, slightly faster than one compression a second.
  • After every 30 chest compressions, give two breaths.
  • Pinch the person’s nose. Seal your mouth over their mouth and blow steadily and firmly into their mouth. Check that their chest rises. Give two rescue breaths, each over one second.
  • Continue with cycles of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until they begin to recover or emergency help arrives.

    • For children

    For children aged one to puberty (usually taken as 12 years):

  • Open their airway by placing one hand on the child’s forehead and gently tilting their head back and lifting the chin. Remove any visible obstructions from the mouth and nose.
  • Pinch their nose. Seal your mouth over their mouth and blow firmly into their mouth, checking that their chest rises. Give five initial rescue breaths.
  • Place your hands on the centre of their chest and, with the heel of your hand, press down one-third of the depth of the chest using one or two hands.
  • After every 30 chest compressions (at a steady rate, slightly faster than one compression a second) give two breaths.
  • Continue with cycles of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until they begin to recover or emergency help arrives.