As Farm Safety Week continues the Government have announced plans to purchase 18 farm machinery simulators to be used for training purposes.
Funding of €1.25 million euros will be allocated to Teagasc for the procurement of the simulators.
They will be ready and in use in all the agricultural and horticultural colleges in the coming academic year and also available to students at universities and technological universities who use the college facilities for practical learning.
Farming accounts for approximately 42% of fatal workplace incidents in the period 2011 – 2020, yet only 6% of the working population is employed in the sector.
Over half of fatal farm incidents are associated with tractors, farm vehicles and machinery.
Teagasc National Farm Survey data indicates that about 700 farm vehicle and machinery incidents take place annually.
Driver operation has been identified both internationally and in Ireland as one of the major causes of incidents involving tractors and machinery.
These simulators include tractors with different implements such as balers, mowers and tedders, and also forage harvesters, combines, and telescopic handlers, covering all the common machinery operations carried out on farms.
