Animal attacks are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injury in accidents on Irish farms, a new study which was carried out by researchers at Mayo General Hospital has suggested. The study examined all farm-related morbidity and mortality presenting to the hospital between 2005 and 2011. The research found that there was a total of seven deaths as direct result of farm accidents in that time period.
More than half, or four of the seven deaths, were livestock-related, two were due to machinery accidents, and one was caused by the fall of a heavy object.
Consultant surgeon at Mayo General Hospital, Kevin Barry, stated that the primary focus of the study was causation and severity of death. He said, “Our patients were killed by animal attack and this needed to be highlighted as the magnitude of the injuries was so significant.
“The study also found that 130 patients were admitted to Mayo General with non-fatal farm related injuries, of these there were 104 men, 26 women, and the average age was 46. The average length of hospital stay and intensive care unit stay was 5.2 days, while the total number of bed days used was 677, the study found.”
This analysis outlines the incidence and severity of fatal and non-fatal injuries sustained in the farming workplace and presenting to a general hospital serving a rural catchment population. Greater awareness of our results may help to reduce the long term incidence and magnitude of such injuries.
Mr Barry also called for greater awareness in relation to farm safety in general within the farming community and an increase in the promotion of farm safety initiatives.
