Co Antrim farmer who spent three weeks in a coma urges others to ‘stop and think’ as Farm Safety Week ends

Co Antrim farmer Denis Minford.

A County Antrim farmer who spent three weeks in a coma after a devastating farm accident is urging others to make safety part of every working day as this year’s Farm Safety Week draws to a close.

Crumlin farmer Denis Minford has shared his personal story in support of the annual campaign led by the Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies), with backing in Northern Ireland from the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) and the Farm Safety Partnership (FSP).

His message comes as the organisations call on farmers to ensure the awareness raised during Farm Safety Week leads to lasting changes in behaviour rather than being forgotten once the campaign ends.

‘Everything changed in seconds’

Mr Minford said he never expected to become one of the people behind the farm accident statistics.

“You never think it’s going to happen to you. We hear about farm accidents and feel great sympathy for those involved, but you never imagine that one day it will happen to you, or it will be your own family getting that call,” he said.

“The day of my accident started off like any other working day. Then within seconds everything changed. The injuries I suffered have had a lasting impact on me and my family.”

Dr Bryan Monson, HSENI Deputy Chief Executive, and Crumlin farmer Denis Minford.

Reflecting on what happened, he warned that a single moment of distraction can have life-changing consequences.

“It really only takes one wrong decision, one split second of a distraction, climbing onto a roof or rushing to get a job finished before the weather changes. One moment when your attention slips and everything changes forever.

“Farmers please stop and think before every job and ask yourself, ‘is there a safer way to do this’. Take a few extra moments to make sure you make the right decision that gets you home safely that night to your family.

“My experience lives with me to this day and it can be hard to talk about it but if sharing my story means one life is saved or one family never experiences what mine did, then that’s enough for me.”

Turning awareness into action

HSENI Principal Agriculture Inspector Rachel Hamill said Mr Minford’s experience highlights how quickly routine farm work can become life-threatening.

“This year Farm Safety Week is about recognising that behind the statistics and headline incidents is a person whose life and whose family’s life and business can be changed in a heartbeat,” she said.

“Farming has the poorest safety record, with working with vehicles, livestock, slurry and working at heights being the major risk areas.

“But the message is that farmers must stop and think safe. They must make safety a vital part of their every working day.

“This is a fabulous campaign to raise awareness of the dangers but that isn’t enough on its own. The real challenge is to turn those good intentions and advice into safe habits that last long after the campaign has ended.”

The four biggest risks

The Farm Safety Partnership’s ongoing ‘Stop and Think SAFE’ campaign focuses on the four main causes of death and serious injury on farms:

• Slurry – lethal gases can kill.

• Animals – understand the hazards of working with livestock.

• Falls – check before climbing or working at height.

• Equipment – ensure machinery is safe and ready for use.

Figures covering the period from 2015 to 2025 show 57 people lost their lives in farming-related incidents in Northern Ireland. The leading causes were:

• Equipment – 25 deaths

• Falls and falling objects – 15 deaths

• Animals – 14 deaths

• Slurry – 2 deaths

• Other causes – 1 death

As Farm Safety Week concludes, organisers are urging farmers not to let the campaign’s messages fade, but instead to build safer habits into every day’s work so that fewer families experience the devastating consequences of a preventable accident.