PICTURES: Limerick gardai drive home farm safety message at agricultural college

LIMERICK gardai engineered an informative farm safety event at Salesian Agricultural College that farmers of the future will never forget.

Students of Salesian Secondary College also got to learn from the gardai who brought a fleet of vehicles - garda tractor, Project Nexus Golf R, garda unmarked golf GTi and community policing bus.
The students learned that their actions have consequences through a series of talks and practical displays.

It was organised by Inspector Gearoid Thompson and new Crime Prevention Officer, Sergeant Michelle O’Halloran. “Students responded very well to an excellent delivery of the Lifesaver Project Seminar by Sergeant Tony Miniter, assisted by Sergeant Niamh Brosnan, who spoke on post-collision findings in serious crashes.

“It is noteworthy the attention the students took to these talks with aghast silence in some instances,” said Insp Thompson. The Bruff-based inspector said Sergeant Edel Curtin from the Clare/ Tipperary Division, who is to the forefront in raising awareness on farm safety, arrived in the garda tractor with the ‘strawman’ PTO display.

“This is a tractor with a PTO (power take-off) at the rear. A straw dummy is fixed by a small rope to the PTO shaft which is activated and mimics the danger and injury that can befall a person if caught by the fast turning shaft,” said Insp Thompson.

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The importance of a PTO guard and not wearing ill-fitting clothes or clothes with loose threads was brought home to the students.

Garda Mike Fitzgerald, ex-Limerick hurler, farmer and Bruff-based garda, spoke to students about balancing his work as a garda, GAA and farm life. He spoke of the importance of time management and the dangers of rushing between jobs, especially when tired during the busiest time of the year.

Garda Fitzgerald and Garda John Clifford made local and national headlines last month when they delivered medication to a snowed-in couple in Garda Fitzgerald’s trusty Zetor tractor.

The Limerick garda contingent was completed by Sergeant Aoife Bannon, Garda Andrew Maher, Garda Ken Driscoll, Garda Errol Flynn and Garda Alan O’Donnell.

Gardai were supported on the day with speakers and presentations from Roisin Shanahan, Health & Safety Authority; Sean Lavery and Darren Sheehy, Limerick IFA; John Bateman, Limerick ICMSA and Mona Colcannon and Caroline Redmond, of Embrace Farm.

Insp Thompson thanked Salesian Agricultural College principal, Derek O’Donoghue for the invitation, Keith O’Rahilly, principal of Salesian Secondary School and one and all who made the farm safety event such a success. “It was a most positive community engagement day which was very informative for those in attendance with very positive feedback afterwards,” concluded Insp Thompson.

For more from the day see the An Garda Siochana Limerick Facebook or Instagram pages

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