There is a trend across the UK and Ireland where a growing number of older farmers are involved in farm accidents, according to Bryan Monson from the Health and Safety Executive for NI.

Speaking in Belfast on Tuesday, Monson presented a chart showing that the proportion of farm fatalities involving people aged over 60 has gradually increased over the past 50 years.

At the farm safety conference, various speakers pointed out that it is difficult to ask an older farmer to become less involved in farming, especially if they have spent their entire life working on their farm.

“Farming should continue for as long as someone wants to do it, as long as it is safe for them. We are not telling anyone to stop farming,” Monson said.

Stephanie Berkeley from the Farm Safety Foundation suggested that one part of the age profile trend in farm accidents surrounds younger people becoming more aware of farm safety risks.

Over the past ten years, the proportion of fatal farm accidents that involve people aged under 40 has dropped, with the age bracket making up two of the 23 farm fatalities in the UK last year.

“That figure is not zero, at least not yet and it may never be, but it is a step in the right direction,” Berkeley said.

She maintained that safety training for young people and campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers on farms have all contributed to fewer young farmers being involved in accidents.

Focus

The conference heard that a key focus going forward is to raise awareness about farm safety amongst older people, as they are statistically more likely to be involved in a farm accident.

In his address, NI Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir said “farm safety messaging” is a priority across all educational and knowledge transfer programmes that are offered by CAFRE.

“It can help older farmers do things differently and help young farmers work safely right from the start of their career,” he said.

However, Minister Muir acknowledged that the most effective way of promoting safer working practices on farms is through “peer to peer learning” where farmers who have had accidents tell their stories.

He said an important starting point for improving safety is for farmers to re-evaluate how tasks are completed on their farms and think about any potential dangers.

“Even if you have been doing certain things the same way on a regular basis for years, it only takes one thing to go wrong just once,” Minister Muir said.

Farmers’ health impacted by diet and lifestyle choices

Many farmers in NI have a diet and lifestyle which is negatively impacting their health, a local GP and academic has said.

Speaking at a farm safety conference in Belfast, Dr Rebecca Orr said dietary changes across society have had a “huge impact” on the risk of contracting various health problems.

“Back in the 1970s and 1980s, our diets were 80% whole foods and 20% processed. Now, it’s over 80% processed and the rest is normal ingredient whole foods,” she said.

Orr pointed out that as agriculture has become more mechanised, farmers are generally doing less physical activity.

On top of that, she said many farmers are working long hours through the night, which is regularly disrupting sleep patterns.

“There is a massive smelting pot on farms which is firing up all these hormones which are not meant to be there at that time of the day. This has a big impact on everything from fat formation to kidney health,” Orr explained.

Mental health

She said that research shows that poor physical health has a significant impact on mental health too.

Aside from diet and lifestyle, Orr pointed out that a range of other issues, from bovine TB to inheritance tax, is also impacting on the wellbeing of local farmers at present.

Professor Siobhan O’Neill said the “quickest fixes” to improve mental wellbeing all relate to physical health, with four pillars being nutrition, physical activity, sleep and social connection.

“If you look at the schedule that farmers typically have with the amount of stress on one hand, then the sleep interruptions, eating on the hoof, consuming processed food, a lack of social connection, and a lack of physical activity, it is a recipe for poor mental health.

“People think it is all about talking and counselling to improve mental health, it’s more about meaningful work and getting those four pillars right,” O’Neill said.

‘Farmers are crying out for company’

Farmers who spend most of their time working alone are often feeling the effects of isolation, according to farm safety campaigner William Sayers.

With over 30 years’ experience of selling machinery to farmers, Sayers said he has witnessed many changes which have gradually taken social interaction out of farming.

He described the likes of online banking and ordering feed and fertiliser over text message as “faceless farming”.

“Farmers are crying out for company. Farmers love getting out. They might complain that they have to head away to a discussion group meeting or something like that, but most of them can’t get down the lane quick enough,” he said.