Farm accident survivor welcomes requirements for use of telehandlers
A farm accident survivor originally from Co. Sligo has welcomed the stringent requirements outlined by the Health & Safety Authority for the use of telehandlers, sometimes called teleporters.
It follows comments made earlier this week by the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association (ICMSA) claiming that the requirements were "over the top".
Such commentary has been described as “bonkers” by Aengus Mannion, a farmer originally from Sligo who sustained severe injuries on a farm in Meath while using a teleporter.
Under the HSA’s Code of Practice, farmers and employees must have the appropriate training for using telescopic telehandlers to lift items such as fertiliser bags or bales.
The ICMSA had said: “The course itself could cost €1,000, and when you include wages and PRSI, you could be paying €2,000 for an employee to complete it.”
He described the cost as “ridiculous” and added that it will “do nothing for farm safety”.
Farmer Aengus Mannion described the ICMSA's stance as “bonkers” and “out of order”.
Mannion said to Agriland: “When I see a story like that and comments giving out about training two days and cost, I can say, if I got the chance again I would spend two weeks training if I could turn the clock back, to get a better knowledge of the machine.
“What price do you put on someone’s life, their legs, their arms, or their future?”
Accident
Mannion was working on a beef farm in Meath in 2009 when he suffered his machinery-related injuries, which led to his legs being almost completely severed.
On a bright May evening, he went out to fix a fence.
“The cattle had been let out,” he said.
“I jumped off the teleporter, the cattle were behind me.
“And with that, watching the cattle, eye off the teleporter, I believe they pushed it and it came in behind me, and the teleporter impaled me into a tree.”
Mannion underwent over nine hours of emergency surgery that night and has had over 20 operations in subsequent years.
The farmer told Agriland: “There was a chance of coming back to Sligo and never walking again.”
Safety training
On the subject of safety training, Mannion said: “If it saves a life or someone from an injury, it’s well worth it.
“There’s no question on my mind that it will save lives. It can’t but do good.”
He also added that farming standards differ from other industries.
“There’s not enough emphasis on safety,” he said.
“Farm deaths are rising.
“If I was working for another company, I wouldn’t be out at that time of the day [between 6:30p.m and 7:00p.m] and on my own, taking out a new machine.”
He added: “That phone call that came to my family home saying that there’s been an accident - you do not want that phone call.”
