Carlow to host National Farm Safety and Health Conference
Farmers, farm leaders and state agencies to meet and discuss safe farming in challenging times
Tuesday 16th October
The 2018 National Farm Safety and Health Conference will be held at the Dolmen Hotel, Carlow on Friday 26th October. The conference takes place from 9.00 am to 1.10pm and is aimed at anyone with an interest in improving the farm safety, health and welfare of farmers and farm families.
The conference is being hosted by the Health and Safety Authority in association with Teagasc and the Farm Safety Partnership. The event is sponsored by FBD Trust.
Attendance is free of charge and the event is a Department of Agriculture Food and Marine approved Knowledge Transfer Sheep, Beef, Dairy and Tillage Event.
Recently appointed Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Authority Dr Sharon McGuinness will welcome participants and Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen TD, will give the opening address.
The first session will be chaired by IFA President, Joe Healy and will include national and international speakers. Teagasc Director, Professor Gerry Boyle will speak on future trends in Irish agriculture and associated farm safety challenges.
Swedish expert on work science, Professor Peter Lundqvist will outline strategies to improve farm safety across the EU and the work of the EU farm safety co-operation network (EU COST Action).
IFA National Safety Executive, William Shortall will speak about plans to engage farmers with safety.
The 2nd session of the conference will be chaired by ICMSA President, Pat McCormack. In this session, Professor Jim Kinsella, Head of Agribusiness and Rural Development at UCD will describe the findings of research into health and safety in dairy Discussion Groups.
Arthur Byrne, ESB Networks will speak about electrical dangers in farming and the FBD Young Farmer of the Year 2018 will give his views on the essentials of good farming.
The final session will be a Panel discussion chaired by Denis Duggan, CEO of Macra Na Feirme. This session will be open to all participants and will be focused strategies to influence e farmers to take practical action to improve safety at farm level.
Booking should be made by contacting Teagasc Oak Park at 059-9170200.
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