A farmer in Co. Wexford was airlifted to hospital this morning after being involved in a farm accident, a local Garda has confirmed.

The incident occurred before 12 o clock today and it is understood that the farmer received the injuries while working with a cow on his farm.

Local Gardai from the Enniscorthy branch are investigating the incident and are expected to return to the scene of the accident tomorrow.

The full extent of the mans injuries are not yet known, the Garda spokesperson said, but the farmer in question did require the assistance of the Air Corps Emergency Aeromedical Service to be airlifted to hospital.

Health and Safety Authority (HSA) figures show that every year farmers and family members are killed or maimed by cattle.

Accidents involving livestock are the second most common cause of farm fatalities.

The HSA’s Guidance on the Safe Handling of Cattle on Farms booklet shows that risk of injury is higher with cows that are with their newborn calf and when they are handled at close quarters.

The HSA advises that you should never:
  • Put an inexperienced handler or a child at risk with cattle.
  • Handle cattle or get others to handle them if there is a lack of competence and confidence to do the work safely.
  • Turn your back on a bull or trust a bull, no matter how docile he may appear.
  • Stress or arouse cattle unnecessarily.
  • Turn your back on a cow following calving.
  • Keep dangerous cattle.
  • Suddenly enter the animal’s ‘Blind Spot’.
  • Rush into the animal’s ‘Flight Zone’.
  • Beat or shout at cattle unnecessarily – they remember bad experiences.
  • Move cattle on a public road at night.
FARM ACCIDENT WEXFORD