Welcome to The Safety Zone, in proud partnership with the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). This monthly feature is a very important part of AG MAG, bringing you the latest news, tips and events on farm safety.
Farm inspectors help keep farms safe so everyone can live and work healthily and happily. When AG MAG met up with Róisín, we were able to find out more about the important job she does.
Róisín: I live on a dairy farm so I love farming and animals, just like many of your AG MAG readers, I am sure. My favourite part of farming is feeding baby calves. As an inspector who works for the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), I visit many farms around the country. The inspection is to make sure the farm is as safe as can be for the people who work and visit there. I check that the farm is doing its best to prevent accidents and injuries.
Róisín: The first thing I do is meet with the farmer to talk about what I’ll be looking at. I then put on my safety gear, like my steel toe boots.
Róisín: As I walk around with the farmer, I look for all the potential hazards on the farm. I look at the machinery to make sure it has safety guards in place, the brakes are working and that the workers know how to use the machinery safely. I also check facilities on the farm, like the slurry agitation points and animal handling facilities, such as the crush. I check to see if there are clear pathways for walking and that there’s good lighting.
Róisín: I talk to the farmer about the potential risk of someone getting hurt and ask him or her to make it safe. I might request that a farmer replaces an old gate, fixes a broken PTO cover, or puts up signs to warn people of farming dangers. I explain why these changes are important and discuss how they work to keep everyone safe.
Róisín: I can further help the farmer by giving advice on what supports there are to improve farm safety. By working together like this, the farm can run more smoothly, keeping everyone – both workers and animals – as safe as possible.
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