We all make mistakes, but sadly not everyone gets an opportunity to learn from them. In August of this year Eugene Mc Sweeney died after slipping in the river Bandon during the heatwave. He lost his balance while filling barrels of water for his animals and drowned.
Balance is of concern whether you are working on land, in water, or at a height. It is a huge risk factor for quad users. The bikes have a tendency to flip over on sharp turns and when moving fast. They also turn over on uneven ground, causing the driver to be crushed or pinned underneath. Rollover crashes, even at low speed, can have dire consequences.
Quad safety
Anyone operating an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) or quad bike is required by Irish law to wear a protective helmet. 50% of injured people in recent years did not do so. An audit of accidents (2014-2019) found that the head is always the most severely injured body region, and that 91 % of the drivers who sustained a major trauma were male.
Surely legislation is useless without self-responsibility? An expert at the department of agriculture agrees. “Ultimately it’s not about a piece of paper, but what we can and can’t do. We don’t hear so much about it, but at least one person every year is fatally injured. People end up wheelchair bound for life or in the rehab hospital, looking up at the ceiling.” he says.
Trackers and other tips
Duncan Macalister was involved in Farm Safety Week, a collaboration between organisations in Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and England. When we spoke, he kindly shared tips from his farm on Scotland’s Kintyre peninsula.
“First and foremost, wear a helmet. No ifs, buts, or maybes, wear a bloomin’ helmet! Winter is a good time to get used to it when it’s cold and wet. Leave it with the bike so it’s always there.” he says.
Six quad users died in recent years in England. Nonsensical legislation doesn’t help. “You can fit a safety bar at your own risk, but if you alter the vehicle and there is a death, you are responsible! We need to change the rules.” Duncan adds.
In New Zealand, fitting quad bars prevents rollover crushing. I asked if the protective part was made from steel. “No, it’s a spring-loaded bungee material.” Duncan clarifies. “They’ve done test crashes and gathered data. It’s a flexible, light mechanism. ATV fitting should be mandatory, like safety frames were introduced onto tractors.”
He has another nugget of advice. “Get a tracker, not just for security theft. Farm owners need to know where the quad is at all times and if an employee has it, when you know where it is at all times, it could save a life. The basic tracker is about two hundred quid here in England”.
Ireland
County Cork has the largest concentration of farm holdings and agricultural workers in Ireland, so it has the most farm deaths and injuries. Over 80% of fatal or serious accidents in Cork involve men, and on average, over one third are aged 65 or older.
People now work beyond the traditional retirement age, so older self-employed farmers are most at risk. The Injuries Resolution Board reports that back injuries are the most common type of injury.
Height risks
When working at height, a roof may give the illusion of being solid, but much material can easily be broken or shattered. Ten years ago a Macroom farmer died after a roof collapsed under him. This type of tragedy can be avoided.
When repairing shed roofs or cleaning gutters, be mindful that many structures and roofing materials are too fragile to support the weight of a person. Lights and perspex sheeting can be especially hard to recognise due to weathering and sometimes they get painted over.
Slowing down saves lives, so why not scope things out first before climbing up on any roof? The safest approach is to assume that all roofing materials are fragile. It is well worth getting a survey done by a professional.
To prevent serious falls when using trestles make sure that the setup is stable. Check all equipment before use. Never use damaged ladders.
More tips from the Health and Safety Authority
- inspect ladders, ensuring that they are tied, secure, and set at a 1:4 ratio angle.
- see if the work can be done safely from the ground
- treat all corrugated asbestos or fibre-cement surfaces as fragile; use staging or crawling boards on shed roofs
- don’t try balancing on a loader bucket: use elevating work platforms or scaffolding
Winter safety
The Winter season brings freezing temperatures, so always clear ice from walkways to prevent slipping. We often get freeze-thaw cycles. Ice melts during the day, then refreezes into dangerous ‘black ice’ at night. It is a good idea to have a supply of salt or grit read to use for slippery yard paths and sloped roadways. Now is the time to stock up, before the season turns colder.
For a chemical-free approach to eliminate slipperiness, scatter sharp sand or horticultural grit. If you have a wood-burning stove or fireplace, cooled wood ash is an excellent alternative. Dried, used coffee grounds also offer good traction. Coarse materials get embedded into the surface of paths, which provides grip. As sun warms the ground, heat is absorbed by the material and it then helps to melt the ice naturally.
To prevent freezing completely, lay down textured, non-slip rubber mats or outdoor carpet runners. Putting them on the main walking areas before a freeze prevents ice from forming on the ground at all. In the morning you simply roll them up or sweep frost off them. Heavy tarp, weighed down with rocks, also works.
Women’s farm events
Learn more about farm safety finances and making the best of funding opportunities in Ennis on November 12th, 2026.
Free tickets are available to the ‘DAFM: International Year of the Woman Farmer’ events on Eventbrite.
First published in The Southern Star, September 12th, 2026.