The founder of Embrace Farm has urged all working in agriculture to redouble their efforts on safety this year to avoid a repeat of the horrific spate of farm deaths in 2014 as the latest video in organisation’s ‘What’s Left Behind’ campaign was launched.
Speaking following the weekend’s Late Late Show feature on farm safety and farm deaths Brian Rohan said that the very fact that the campaign made it onto the country’s most popular TV programme showed just how grave the issue of farm safety has become.
Mr Rohan was joined on the show by Diane Banville, whose husband Kevin died on the family farm in New Bawn, New Ross on March 17 last year.
Diane, whose story features in the latest ‘What’s Left Behind’ video, had only given birth to the couple’s second child just one month before a silage bale fell on Kevin and took his life on St. Patrick’s Day.
One month later, she was back at the same parish Church in New Bawn to christen the couple’s second child, Cillian, on their first wedding anniversary but also on the same weekend of Kevin’s Months Mind Mass.
Brian Rohan said last year was a horrific year for farm deaths and accidents but rather than close the door on it, we need to look long and hard at what happened, take the lessons and put whatever is required in place to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
He said that the very fact that the Late Late Show featured farm deaths and farm safety shows just how bad the year has been.
“We are proud of the fact that we managed to shed further light shed on this but the focus now has to be on making sure there is no need for this level of attention in the future.”
He said that as an organisation it is indebted to Diane for setting aside her grief and putting herself forward to talk about farm deaths for the latest video. “Her heartache is unimaginable and she is such a tragic case of what’s left behind.
“Despite her loss she has somehow summoned up the strength to use her story in the hope that others might avoid what she is going through. That’s an enormous gesture from her and, indeed, the others who have participated in this campaign.
“We just hope now as many people as possible view and share Diane’s and our other videos so the impact of farm accidents is fully understood and that this might trigger greater safety on farms.”
