The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSE NI) is urging older farmers to take particular care when working with bulls.
It has issued the warning following a spate of attacks on older stockmen and the death of two farmers, aged 60 and 72. HSE NI inspector, Malcolm Downey, said it was often a quieter bull which posed more of a risk and that, "Farmers are more inclined to keep an eye on an aggressive bull, always watching where he is in the field."
Further, it is older farmers who are particularly at risk, since economic conditions mean that many younger people only work part-time in agriculture and on a lot of farms it is the older generation who are left to look after things during the day.
This summer there are 17,000 bulls out grazing across Northern Ireland and for farmers this is a high-risk time, especially in warm, clammy weather conditions.
The HSE NI advice is for older farmers to take steps, specifically rapid steps, to protect themselves and think about having a refuge in case a bull attacks, which out in the field usually means a vehicle that they can either jump inside or, in an emergency, slide underneath.
