Last week, a course aimed at training Fire Service incident commanders on basic agricultural mechanisation took place in Nenagh Fire Station, Co Tipperary.

The course was designed to provide fire officers with information to allow them to make informed decisions when attempting to resolve an incident involving agricultural equipment. The one-day course was run for five days, training close to 130 operational officers.

Diarmuid McCarthy from McHale explaining to the group the dangers associated with hydraulic pressure.

John Shinners, senior assistant chief fire officer (Tipperary); Joe Treacy, Abbey Machinery; Roderick Jones, Keenan; Peter Gohery, Embrace Farm; Diarmuid McCarthy, McHale; Pat Delaney, TFM; and Liam Carroll, chief fire officer (Carlow).

The course included technical presentations covering the fundamentals of hydraulics, pneumatics, PTO systems, braking systems as well as attachment methods used in agriculture.

Officers were advised on the potential dangers when disabling different pressures on machinery, where such pressures may be located and the potential components where such hydraulic and pneumatic pressures are stored.

Pat Delaney from TFM explaining how a PTO works and how to remove one from a machine.

Joe Treacy from Abbey explained how a diet feeder works and focused on braking systems and there functionality.

The course included technical presentations covering the fundamentals of hydraulics, pneumatics, PTO systems, braking systems as well as attachment methods used in agriculture.

Meanwhile, tips were also offered on how to stabilise various machines, from isolating power to disconnecting hydraulic quick hoses and PTO shafts, removing chain joiner links, basic pickup hitch functionality and how to clamp free-moving parts.

Practical demonstrations

Practical yard demonstrations were held on machinery such as tractors, mowers, balers, diet feeders, self-propelled foragers and slurry equipment.

This was undertaken with technical personnel and machinery from Abbey Machinery, Templetuohy Farm Machinery, McHale, Keenan and Tim Gleeson Machinery.

The lack of safety covers on PTO shafts was singled out as being a big contributor to agricultural related accidents.

A cross section of a typical accumulator.

The course also included an off-site visit to a farmyard owned by Albert and Daniel Purcell, where a risk assessment and familiarisation session was undertaken. Up to now, the only agricultural machinery-related training fire officers underwent was with a tractor and dump trailer.

Up to now, the only agricultural machinery related training fire officers underwent was with a tractor and dump trailer.

The course was designed by Liam Carroll, chief fire officer with Carlow Fire and Rescue Service and John Shinners, senior assistant chief fire officer with Tipperary Fire and Rescue Service, both of whom come from farming backgrounds. Additional speakers on the course included Pat Griffin from the HSA and Peter Gohery from Embrace FARM.