Damage to farm buildings, machinery, fencing and property has been widespread following storm Éowyn.

Where farmers are trying to make repairs, be sure to keep safety in mind at all times. Don’t take the “I’ll be grand” approach, as that is when accidents will happen.

Take safety seriously, especially if you have family members, neighbours or employees helping.

When repairing shed roofs, use a telehandler or cherry picker with a safety basket fitted and wear a harness attached to its frame.

Roofs

Do not walk on shed roofs without erecting safety netting underneath. Storm damage may have compromised the roof structure or that or side walls and joists supporting the roof.

Also, wear and tear over the years will make sheets, especially plastic skylights, extremely fragile if weight is applied.

If using ladders, again, make sure they are securely anchored and, ideally, have someone else present to prevent movement when in use.

Electricity

Check power cables feeding into sheds from overhead lines have not been damaged. Check cables are not being earthed and shorted by metal sheeting or debris, taking time to follow lines backwards as they feed into the yard.

Fallen trees

Be careful when cutting up fallen trees, especially those lodged against buildings or fences. Such trees can be dangerous as the weight load and balance point can suddenly change once sections are sawn off.

This can lead to the blade of a chainsaw jamming and trees falling and trapping limbs. Be careful cutting sections that are dense with branches, as the tip of the blade can hit an adjacent branch and cause a kick-back.

Always wear proper safety trousers, jacket, gloves and visor when cutting fallen trees.

Before starting to cut a fallen tree, clear as much debris as possible. Trim back smaller, trailing branches in the area where you will stand.

Put some form of trig below the tree trunk before you start cutting. This allows the forks of the telehandler to get below the cut sections and lift them out of the way.