Farmer who died in fall named locally – FarmIreland.ie

A farmer who was killed in a farm accident in Co Waterford yesterday has been named locally.

Suckler farmer Patrick (Paddy) Drohan was killed following a fall from height in Kilmacthomas, Co Waterford.

IFA Waterford County Chair Kevin Kiersey told FarmIreland said that Mr Drohan was a top suckler farmer in the area and will be missed by his wife and four children.

“He was very hardworking. This came as a real shock to the community. It’s very sad. My deepest sympathies are with his family.”

Mr Drohan was a prominent suckler farmer in the region and took part in the Teagasc Better Farm Beef Programme. He held various farm walks on his land.

Senior Inspector with the Health and Safety Authority Pat Griffin told FarmIreland that it was investigating the accident.

“The fatal accident is currently under investigation. This is particularly sad considering we had a fall from height campaign last month,” Mr Griffin said.

Approximately 6pc of the working population are involved in agriculture but the sector frequently accounts for up to 50pc of workplace deaths.

In 2017, there were 31 farm fatalities, 25 in Republic of Ireland, 6 in Northern Ireland, with 4 due to falls, or falling objects, on farms.

“Most falls from height are fatal, it’s not worth taking a risk,” Mr Griffin said.

“We are asking farmers to plan ahead and make sure that work at height is only carried out using the proper equipment and with protective measures in place. This can be done by carrying out a risk assessment that identifies all of the hazards especially when working to repair fragile roofs.”

Figures at the recent Health and Safety Authority Farm Safety conference in Carlow show that of the 17 farm deaths this year, almost half involved agricultural machinery.

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