A health-and-safety video aimed at addressing issues such as farmers working in a hurry and while tired, was launched at Teagasc’s Moorepark Dairy Open Day, in Fermoy, Co. Cork (July 4).
The production is part of a Managing Farm Health and Safety series of 18 videos outlining best practice for farm health-and-safety topics. The video was produced by Teagasc health and safety specialist advisors in association with FBD Insurance and the Farm Safety Partnership advisory committee to the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). ‘Work Organisation for Farmer Health and Safety’ was launched by the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for farm safety, Martin Heydon. This most-recent video comes because of research revealing that farmers believe that tiredness and working in a hurry are contributory factors to workplace accidents. Further research, using Teagasc National Farm Survey (NFS) data, indicates that dairy farms where workload increased during the 2012 to 2017 expansionary period had over double the level of farm workplace injuries. Additionally, a review conducted by a Dublin City University research team, funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), found that, internationally, farmers experience higher levels of burnout and exhaustion compared to non-farmers. The video sets out best practice approaches to implementing strategies to manage work organisation for health and safety on farms. The video also includes a case study featuring Jimmy and Anne Cotter, who operate a dairy farm in Coachford, Co. Cork. Jimmy and Anne outline the importance for them of managing work organisation for health and safety, lifestyle and farm business reasons. Speaking at the launch, Minister Heydon said: “Work organisation has an important role to play when it comes to protecting health and safety on the farm. Working long hours under pressure and rushing from job to job can lead to fatigue which is a major factor in many incidents on farms. “This video not only highlights the damaging effects that poor work organisation can have on farmers’ health and safety, but it also highlights the many benefits of managing work organisation.
Good work organisation can contribute to not only improved health and safety but also time efficiencies and a better work/life balance.” Teagasc director, Professor Frank O’Mara said: “Teagasc strongly recognises the importance of work organisation for farmer health and safety, lifestyle and farm business reasons. In addition to the video being launched and research being undertaken, a work organisation advisory tool for use with farmers has been developed, and is currently being evaluated as a component of the DAFM-funded Be Safe research grant.” FBD risk manager, Ciaran Roche, commented: “Planning work in an efficient and organised manner is intrinsically linked to safe working behaviour. Advanced planning of work activities creates the opportunity to carryout out risk assessments, implement safe working procedures and identify appropriate equipment or facilities for the job at hand.” Senior inspector for farm safety at the HSA, Pat Griffin, welcomed the launch of the video and said: “Many serious and fatal incidents investigations by HSA inspectors found that rushing, trying to finish a job at all costs or just trying to do too much in a day, has led to a simple mistake but with dreadful consequences. Planning and good work organisation, doing the more difficult tasks early in the day, and seeking help when necessary has the potential to prevent death and injury”.