Limavady 'Plough On' members attend older farmer health and safety awareness event
Farmers from the Causeway Coast and Glens area have attended a special awareness event focused on older farmer health and safety awareness.
Members of Rural Support’s Plough On group from Glack near Limavady had the unique opportunity to attend the event at the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service’s Learning & Development College in Cookstown.
Organised by the Health and Safety Executive NI and delivered by Farm Safety Partnership members, the event encouraged the farmers to prioritise health and safety for themselves and others.
Across the day, the Plough On members visited five stations focused on working at height, vehicles and vehicle maintenance, slurry/animal rescue, animal handling, and occupational health with a focus on dust and lung health. Each station had industry professionals and the venue’s state-of-the-art facilities allowed for demonstrations of best practice.
Rural Support’s Plough On project has established 17 groups for older, male farmers in areas across Northern Ireland through funding from The National Lottery Community Fund. The project provides a monthly engagement for the men to connect on areas of shared interest through in-house meetings in community venues and trips related to farming, rural heritage, history, and local industry.
The farm support charity’s Social Farming and Innovation Programme Manager, Aoibeann Walsh, said: "Our Plough On Group members were very engaged and keen to learn during the day, recognising how farming has changed so much over their lifetime and health and safety for older farmers is a key concern.”
Anyone who would like to support the Plough On project or more information on it should visit the Rural Support website www.ruralsupport.org.uk or call the office on 028 8676 0040.