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The Irish Government says its investment will ensure students get the best opportunity to develop their machinery operation skills early on in their farming careers.
The Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), is investing $2 million in 18 farm machinery training simulators for use around the country’s Teagasc agricultural colleges.
Making the announcement at the recent National Ploughing Championships, the Minister of State with responsibility for Farm Safety Martin Heydon said the investment will ensure students get the best opportunity to develop their machinery operation skills early on in their farming careers.
“Driver operation has been identified both internationally and in Ireland as a major cause of incidents involving tractors and machinery,” according to the DAFM.
Over 40% of workplace fatalities in Ireland occur on farms, with over half of these fatal incidents involving tractors, farm vehicles and machinery.
“There are also many non-fatal incidents involving tractors, farm vehicles and machinery, some of which result in life-changing injuries,” DAFM says.
The simulators will be available to students completing courses at the agricultural and horticultural colleges, and to students at the universities and technological universities who use the college facilities for practical learning modules.
While this might be considered unnecessary to many, especially those who have been brought up on farms and will already be familiar with machinery, Francis Quigley of Teagasc, notes that even over the last 20 years, tractors have grown enormously, both in size and power, and represent quite a different challenge to pottering around on a Fergy 135, a Ford 4000 or similar.
The DAFM’s support for the machinery simulators has been welcomed by Teagasc director Professor Frank O’Mara, who said students will be able to use these simulators to learn and be trained to use a range of machines safely.
“It will greatly enhance our capacity to provide innovative training to a high number of students in potentially dangerous work tasks, helping to improve health and safety on Irish farms,” O’Mara says.
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