FARMERS have been warned that it takes “only a second” to lose a life and change the lives of entire families.
The warning comes from Dunfanaghy farmer Joe Sweeney, who told the Donegal News: “Farmers across the county know a family that has been affected by a near miss.”
He was speaking to promote Farm Safety Week and said: “Stop, think, and look to see if there is a safer way of doing that job.
“I’m a farmer myself and I do a lot of work around the county about farm safety. Some elderly farmers might not want to change, but times are changing.
“What we’ve noticed is that, after our work in schools, the children go home and educate the adults.”
IFA president Francie Gorman, IFA farm family chairperson Theresa Roche, and Minister Niall Collins at the launch of Farm Safety Week 2026.
Donegal IFA chairman Joe Sweeney. Photo Clive Wasson.
Joe, who is Donegal chairperson at the Irish Farmers’ Association, added: “Life has changed with more distractions around like mobile phones.
“You can take your eye off the job for a second and it can spell disaster. It only takes a second. We all know someone who has been affected by a near miss.
“A near miss can be life-changing. We hear of deaths on farms, but maybe we do not always hear when there has been a near miss with the loss of a limb or a finger, for example.
“People need to think about what would happen if the farmer dies. Suddenly there is a family in crisis left behind to run a farm when they are not ready. There is a lot to consider.”
Farm Safety Week, which runs from today (Monday) until Friday, is in its 14th year, was launched by Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture with responsibility for Farm Safety, Niall Collins TD.
Farm safety 2026 warning.
Minister Collins said: “The farm safety awareness campaign provides an important opportunity to remind farmers of the ever-present risks on farms, especially during the busy summer months.”
He added: “There is a very small margin between a close call and a serious or fatal injury.
“There is no room for complacency; risk-taking must have no place on the farm.”
Farm safety figures.
Some 23 people lost their lives on farms last year, which is 40 per cent of the 58 workplace death total, making agriculture the most dangerous sector in Ireland.
Farming accounts for just four per cent of the workforce, but regularly represents 40 per cent of all workplace deaths, according to semi-State agency Teagasc, which operates under the Department of Agriculture.
Its figures show that an average of 18 people are killed on Irish farms each year, mostly due to accidents with vehicles, livestock, and falls.
The IFA’s farm family spokesperson Teresa Roche warned: “The rate of farm accidents and fatalities is still far too high. It’s a painful reality that too many families in rural Ireland have faced.”
She added: “One accident is one too many.”