Fine Gael Senator Maura Hopkins has praised the work of all individuals and agencies involved in the farm safety week initiative, she said “we strive every day to improve efficiency and improve profits on our farm but we sometimes don’t invest sufficient energy in improving the safety on our farms.
“Loss of a loved one or dealing with a disability due to a farm accident is very difficult for families. This pain and trauma coupled with the financial pressures associated with trying to manage a farm in the weeks and months after a farm accident has a very severe impact on farm family and we must do all we can to prevent these accidents”.
“We must take the time to find safe ways of carrying out each and every task each and every day. Everyone on a farm, whether they are working on it or not must be aware of the dangers that exist.”
Senator Maura Hopkins concluded by saying “Farm Safety must be to the forefront of our minds, we must take the extra time to do simple things like tightening the hand brake that one extra click, changing the bald tyre before it bursts, removing the difficult cow from the herd”.
“We must routinely devote the extra time necessary to do the simple common sense things during each task that we know help to reduce risks and avoid accidents”.