Farm Safety Live to mark 10 years at Tullamore Show
This year's demonstrations at the show will be officially launched at 10:00a.m on Sunday (August 10) by Minister of State with responsibility for farm safety Michael Healy-Rae.
Farm Safety Live (located at stand L105) has been developed by FRS Co-Op, the HSA and FBD Insurance, in conjunction with the Tullamore Show.
The display will emphasise the importance of safety around farm vehicles, equipment and livestock.
This year, Farm Safety Live will also include a live chainsaw safety demonstration.
This follows a notable increase in requests for chainsaw training following the severe storm damage caused by Storm Éowyn earlier this year.
Experts from FRS Co-Op's training division will provide hands-on demonstrations focusing on tractor driving and power take off (PTO) safety, the safe use of quads and ATVs, and proper livestock handling.
Ben Fearn, operations manager at FRS Training, said the live demonstrations at Tullamore Show are 'a powerful tool for helping to change behaviours".
"Watching routine practices and observing the potential hazards helps farm families and farm workers recognise and mitigate risks.
"Continuous education and training is essential to foster a safety-conscious culture on farms. The Tullamore Show is an ideal platform for promoting these vital messages to a wide audience," he added.
Data from the HSA data shows that farms remain the most dangerous workplaces in Ireland, with a total of 171 fatal accidents recorded on farms in the past decade.
So far in 2025, there have been 12 farming fatalities, which is equal to the total number of fatalities in farming for all of 2024.
Of the 12 farm fatalities this year, five (41%) have involved vehicles.
Ger Hartnett, senior inspector at the HSA, said that "incidents on farms continue to contribute to a disproportionate number of work-related fatal injuries".
"In the last 10 years, farm vehicles and machinery account for almost half of all farm deaths.
"In order to keep reducing serious and fatal injuries in the sector, we need to improve the safety culture and behaviour on Irish farms.
"The focus on farm vehicles, livestock handling, and chainsaw safety is a key objective of Farm Safety Live this year.
"Giving these demonstrations at the Tullamore Show will hopefully help promote safer behaviour and help prevent future accidents on our farms," he said.
Chelsey Cox McDonald, secretary of the Tullamore Show, said that "highlighting farm safety is a fundamental part of our show programme".
"We hope each demonstration will help everyone to 'think farm safety' and work towards eliminating risks.
"The number of families affected by farm tragedies each year is truly heart-wrenching," she added.
Ciaran Roche, risk manager at FBD Insurance, encouraged visitors to Tullamore Show to visit Farm Safety Live.
"We know that most accidents are very preventable by ensuring vehicles, facilities and work equipment are suitable for the work at hand, maintained in safe operational condition and by ensuring safe working practices are followed at all times.
'By showing farmers best practices this will allow farmers to implement these safety standards on their own farm and in doing so making Irish farms a safer place for everyone," he said.
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