Just one decision, shortcut or missed hazard can bring a devastating change to the lives of a farm family, the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) has warned.

The comments come on the first day of the 14th Farm Safety Week campaign.

The UK and Ireland-wide campaign is led and funded by The Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) and runs from July 20-24.

This year's campaign focuses on the reality of serious and life-changing injuries on farms, highlighting that while every statistic represents a person, the impact of an incident reaches far beyond the individual involved.

HSENI

Rachel Hamill, HSENI principal agriculture inspector, noted that one lapse in concentration can change a life forever.

"Every serious injury starts with a moment that nobody expected. A routine task can become a life-changing event in seconds if something goes wrong.

"Whether you're working with livestock, operating machinery, working at height or moving vehicles around the yard, taking a few moments to assess the risks could prevent an injury that affects you and your family for the rest of your life.

"This Farm Safety Week we're asking everyone involved in farming to remember one simple message: it only takes one. One decision to work safely can be the decision that gets you home at the end of the day," she said.

Safety

In Northern Ireland, agriculture remains one of most dangerous industries with 57 fatalities over the last 10 years.

During Farm Safety Week, HSENI and the Farm Safety Partnership (FSP) will encourage farmers to take practical steps to reduce risk by slowing down, avoiding shortcuts and making safe decisions before starting every task.

"Farmers are under constant pressure from the weather, workloads and time. We understand those pressures, but no job is so urgent that it should be carried out unsafely," Harry Sinclair, chair of the Farm Safety Partnership, said.

"Taking time to plan the job, maintaining equipment, using the correct safety measures and speaking up if something doesn't look right can make all the difference," he added.

Review

HSENI and the FSP are encouraging farmers, contractors, agricultural workers and farming families to use Farm Safety Week as an opportunity to pause, review how work is carried out and identify one change that could make their farm safer.

The organisations offered the following top farm safety reminders:

Stop and think before starting any job;
Never take unnecessary shortcuts;
Make sure machinery and equipment are properly maintained;
Work safely around livestock and moving vehicles;
Use suitable equipment for working at height;
Speak to family members and workers about the day's tasks and potential hazards;
Carry your mobile phone with you.