BeSafe National Farm Safety Conference

Enhancing farmer health and improving farm safety are critical to the social sustainability of farming.

As part of the BeSafe project, Teagasc will host a national conference on Wednesday, 23 November from 10am - 1pm in the Teagasc Ashtown Food Research Centre, Ashtown, Dublin 15, D15 DY05, to showcase the latest research evaluating the attitudes and intentions of farmers regarding safety and health, the role of advisory services and practical initiatives to reduce risks associated with tractors and machinery.

Whilst there is no conference fee, you need to register as the number of places is limited.

Conference Programme

9:30am – 10:00am   
Registration and coffee

10:00am – 10:10am
Welcome 

10:10am – 10:35am 
Launch of ‘Farm Safe’ Injury and Ill health prevention video

• Dr John McNamara/ Francis Bligh, Teagasc - Introduction
• Video showing
• Ciaran Roche, FBD Insurance,  Farm Safety Partnership
• Pat Griffin, H.S.A. 

Official Launch by Minister Martin Heydon TD, Minister of State, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine   

10:35am – 11:00am     
Understanding trends in farm fatalities and injuries: Evidence from Northern Ireland
Dr Claire Jack, Agriculture and Bioscience Institute Northern Ireland

11:00am – 11:20am     
Who’s safe? Understanding farmer’s attitudes and behaviours to farm safety
Dr Mohammad Mohammadrezaei, Department of AgriBusiness and Spatial Analysis, Teagasc

11:20am – 11:40am
Coffee

11:40am – 11:55am
Barriers to safety: Understand Farm Advisors’ approach to farm safety
Dr David Meredith, Department of AgriBusiness and Spatial Analysis, Teagasc

11:55am – 12:10pm     
Are farmers willing to change? Evidence from a large-scale health behaviour change initiative
Diana van Doorn, South East Technological University and Department of AgriBusiness and Spatial Analysis, Teagasc

12:10pm – 12:25pm     
Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on farmer mental health and wellbeing in Ireland
Alexis O’Reilly, Maynooth University and Department of AgriBusiness and Spatial Analysis, Teagasc

12:25pm – 12:40pm 
Can we improve tractor safety? Preliminary results from a pilot safety training programme
Aswathi Surendran, University of Galway

12:40pm – 1:00pm 
Open Discussion

1:00pm 
Close and Lunch / Posters