Farmers urged to be wary of bulls

By Martin Cassidy
BBC NI rural affairs correpsondent

It is said a quieter bull may actually pose more of a threat

Older farmers are being urged to take particular care working with bulls this summer.

The warning from the Health and Safety Executive follows a spate of attacks on older stockmen and the death of two farmers.

One of the farmers was 60-years-old, the other 72.

The Health and Safety Executive says both farmers were very experienced working with livestock.

Malcolm Downey, a principal health and safety inspector, says it is often a quieter bull which poses more of a risk.

"Farmers are more inclined to keep an eye on an aggressive bull, always watching where he is in the field," he said.

And it is older farmers who are particularly at risk; 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.

The Health and Safety Executive is urging farmers to always think about having a refuge in case a bull attacks.

Out in a field that will usually mean a vehicle.

Family members have to deal with the anguish of the situation and are faced with carrying on the work of the farm in very trying circumstances Esther Ervin

At the first sign of trouble the farmer can either get inside or in an emergency roll underneath.

Often it is older bulls which are bad tempered but all bulls are potentially dangerous.

Esther Ervin of the Ulster Farmers Union's rural affairs committee says the aftermath of an attack can be harrowing for a family.

"Family members have to deal with the anguish of the situation and are faced with carrying on the work of the farm in very trying circumstances," she said.

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.