A coroner sitting at an inquest in Enniskillen, has made an appeal to farmers to make sure their machinery is kept up to date, and that they contain all the necessary protective devices. The appeal came from Brian Sherrad at an inquest into the death of a farmer from Derrylin, who was killed on 28 February 2006 from multiple injuries sustained when his clothes became trapped in a high-speed rotating device which connects a tractor with a slurry tanker. Sherrard said, "The farming community make a huge contribution to society, often working in extremely uncomfortable and difficult circumstances. This type of accident is all too common, and even experienced farmers need to review their machinery, keep it up to date and make sure to take every precaution."
The inquest heard how the farmer had suffered severe injuries to his arm and that his clothes were caught around the power take off drive shaft (PTO), which connected the tractor to a slurry tanker. The tractor powers up the PTO, which then rotates to create a vacuum inside the slurry tank, allowing it to suck up manure. It was estimated that the slurry tanker used was at least 30 years old and did not have a plastic guard casing, a safety feature which comes pre-attached with modern tankers.
