Aengus Mannion was almost crushed to death when a teleporter rolled over him on a farm in Navan in 2011.
The Sligo farmer said thankfully, neighbours heard his cries and raised the alarm.
Speaking about the accident, he said: “It all happened in a flash. I parked the teleporter to check a fence, and next thing I knew, the teleporter got me from behind, and the blade rammed me into a tree,”
“The pain was excruciating. I thought both my legs had been chopped off. There was blood everywhere. I was an hour and 20 minutes screaming for help, drifting in and out of consciousness.”
“I thought at one stage; this is it. I’m going to die. Luckily, great neighbours heard my cries and phoned the emergency services. I spent 9 hours in surgery the first night and have undergone a total of 29 operations. Thankfully, I am back on my feet – but many are not so fortunate.”
He advises his fellow farmers to ensure the right safety checks in place and make it a top priority each and every day.
The biggest cause of farm-related fatalities
The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is urging all farmers and contractors to carefully plan their work and complete their risk assessments as the busy silage season gets underway.
It comes as the latest data shows tractors, vehicles and farm machinery are the biggest cause of farm-related fatalities, accounting for over half of farm-related deaths from 2011 – 2020.
To note, over the past decade, 113 people have been killed in farming-related workplace incidents involving tractors, vehicles, and machinery. 18 of these were children and young persons under the age of 18.
“We are advising farmers to take time to plan for a safe silage season,” said Pat Griffin, senior inspector with the Health and Safety Authority.
“Serious life-changing injuries can be prevented, and lives can be saved if farmers and contractors plan their work in advance, ensure important precautions are taken and make safety their number one priority.”
“I would urge all farmers and contractors to review their risk assessments. Complete the Farm Safety Risk Assessment document or do it online at www.farmsafely.com, which includes a dedicated harvesting checklist to help identify any necessary safety improvements,” he concluded.
Earlier today, we featured an article on a 13-year-old boy, who saved his father’s life following a tractor-related incident.
