Farm safety interventions to help advisors promote safety with livestock

Farming is one of the most dangerous occupations in Ireland, with an average of 20 fatal accidents occurring each year (DAFM, 2022). Fatal accidents on farms account for almost half of all workplace accidents, despite agriculture only employing 7% of the Irish workforce (HSA, 2024). According to the 2022 Teagasc National Farm Survey, 52% of accidents involved livestock, resulting in 2,352 people injured. Many of these accidents involved cattle, particularly bulls, cows, and bullocks. When it comes to managing livestock, cows with newborn calves and bulls pose a significant risk for accidents (HSA, 2020). The increase in accidents and fatalities related to livestock is due to inadequate handling facilities, taking unnecessary risks with livestock, and insufficient attention to animal behaviour (HSA, 2020). Increased engagement between farm advisors and farmers is essential to improving livestock safety on farms. This is essential because agricultural advisors can effectively communicate the need for livestock safety to farmers because they have good relationships with them (McCarron, 2017). This study has addressed the main problem areas related to livestock safety identified by Teagasc advisors. The study involved 11 Teagasc dry stock (beef cattle) and dairy advisors and 23 dairy and dry stock farmers from the study catchment area. Advisors participated in semi-structured interviews to determine what they wanted in a one-day livestock safety workshop and then participated in the one-day livestock workshop. The 23 Teagasc farmers were also surveyed pre- and post-intervention to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions and the one-day livestock safety workshop. Overall, the livestock safety workshop was very successful. The results were positive, with statistically significant increases throughout the pre- and post-workshop ratings. One of the main highlights in the results section was that advisors gave the workshop an overall rating of 9.54 out of 10. All 11 advisors agreed that more emphasis needs to be placed on livestock safety during in-service training for both dairy and dry-stock advisors. In regard to farmers who participated in this study, there was an overall statistically positive shift regarding farmers' attitudes towards livestock safety, with more farmers acknowledging the importance of implementing livestock safety measures on their farms.