BY DECLAN HURLEY
VOLUNTEERS with the West Cork Rapid Response (WCRR) have been busy visiting schools, businesses, farm events and summer festivals giving out Eircode fridge magnets.
Bandon Co-Op is also backing the initiative, with A3-sized Eircode signs for each of their suppliers to display in their farmyard. The co-op delivered a farmer care pack to every supplier’s yard which included a large corrugated iron Eircode sign for the dairy wall, milking parlour or farm gate.
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The pack also contained a cap with visor, bottle of sunscreen, and information leaflets on farm safety, farm and rural stress, HSE know your numbers and other useful advice.
WCRR volunteer Kate Crowley described the Eircode initiative as a potential ‘life-saving gift’ and welcomed the care bags dropped off by Bandon Co-Op.
‘All too often Dr Jason van der Velde, the paramedics and first responders are alerted to a 999 call but without the Eircode, vital minutes are lost to get to that farm to help save a life,’ she said.
‘Even if the farmer himself or herself knows their Eircode, they may well be the injured person, therefore totally dependent on a co-worker, a family member or even a passerby to make that emergency call for them.’
She stressed that given the nature of farmers spending 10-12 hours a day outdoors, particularly in the summertime, it is vital that they protect their skin, head and eyes at all times. ‘The simple bottle of sun cream in the bag might seem obvious but again, if it is not in your yard space, you are not going to go looking for it,’ she reasoned.
She added: ‘The information leaflets are short, to the point, colourful and easy to tuck away with the accounts, for easy access to helpline numbers if needed.’
The Farm Safety Guidance 2026 booklet highlights the stark reality of farm deaths, 55% of them tractor-related, with 25% attributed to attacks by livestock and 15% involving quad bikes.
One of the saddest statistics is that 93% of child fatalities involve vehicles and machinery. The brochure also encourages farmers to have a Safety Statement drawn up for their farm.
Kate said: ‘This is nearly all stuff we know already but sometimes we need to jog our memory and sit up and take stock of where we are at in life. Life is simple, we complicate it for ourselves and very often farmers cannot find a way out of their problems, but solutions are always available and can be worked on, if the problem is shared with others.’
