To be eligible for grant aid under the Targeted, Agricultural, Modernisation, Scheme (TAMS) II, a farmer must complete a farm safety training course. According to the terms and conditions of TAMS II, a farmer must complete a half-day farm safety code of practice course within the last five years before he/she can access grant aid. This half-day training is not required if someone has completed the FETAC Level 6 new award system QQ1 Advanced Certificate in Agriculture (Green Cert) within the last five years.

Where there are a number of farmers involved in a farming collaboration making the TAMS II application, it depends on the applicant type to determine who is required to complete the course:

  • For a registered farm partnership or a company, the course must have been completed by the young farmer. In the case of a company with no young farmer, the course may be completed by one of the directors or the farm manager.
  • In a joint application from two eligible young farmers in a registered farm partnership, only one of the applicants needs to have completed the course.
  • Individual applicants that have a nominated herd keeper either the herd owner or herd keeper can complete the safety course.

    • The Department says your claim for payment will not be processed unless evidence of completion of the course is provided.

    The Irish Farmers Journal talked to FRS training manager Jim Dockery about their half-day farm safety course to find out what is involved. Teagasc and other private companies also hold safety courses at different times and locations throughout the year.

    Course

    Jim said FRS Training run a safety course specifically designed for farmers seeking eligibility for a TAMS II grant. “The course is a half-day of training in health and safety and focuses on implementing a correct code of practice and safety statement onto a farm. The idea is that if correct procedures are followed, it is proven that the risk of a farm accident occurring reduces significantly,” he explained.

    Costing €40, the training day is run every two weeks at various locations around the country.

    Jim said all instructors are qualified in health and safety and are audited by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). “The course takes about three to four hours to complete and usually starts around 10.30am to accommodate farmers who are milking,” he added. To attend the safety training you must book online at www.FRStraining.com

    “The full training takes place indoors, in a classroom setting but props and visuals are used in abundance. The course itself is based around the implementation and compliance with a safety statement and code of practice as set out by the HSA,” he said.

    Training day

    Jim explained the run-through of the day;

  • 1 We usually start off with an introduction and try to get a discussion going among the group about accidents and why they occur. Sometimes we distribute a questionnaire just to get people thinking and get conversation going. Stats and recent trends are explained, some of them are pretty stark and show the importance of health and safety awareness.
  • 2 Then we would go through a typical farm and show where and how the most common accidents happen. Props are used where possible with practical training very helpful in explaining things clearly. Sometimes we might focus more on a certain topic such as livestock accidents if the group were all dairy or beef farmers, but it depends on who’s there on the day.
  • 3 Finally, we assist farmers in completing a correct farm safety risk assessment. This document is required by all farmers; small farms as part of the code of practice and larger farms as part of the safety statement required by law.

    • Documentation

    On completing the course a farmer will receive a letter confirming that adequate safety training has been completed. Without this letter a farmer is not eligible to receive a TAMS II grant aid.

    Jim makes the point that providing the correct details when registering is very important.

    “One of the biggest mistakes we see is that people put down the wrong names, addresses or have spelling errors when filling out registration forms at the end of the course. Every detail (name, address etc ) should be the exact same as what the herd number is under. Confusion often occurs around farming partnerships or when farms are registered under a company name. If the proof letter contains incorrect information, your grant will likely be refused until corrected. If you are unsure, please ask the coordinator before you fill out these details,” he explained.

    Jim feels that while taking the course is informative for farmers, more should be done to promote farm safety education.

    “At the moment, a farmer will only get the letter proving he completed the course. There is no incentive to take the safety course unless you are applying for grant aid. One thing I would like to see is that farmers get a qualification of some sort out of the safety training,” he reasoned.

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