TWO farm accidents within three days has prompted local NSW Ambulance Inspector Steve Pollard to issue a warning to local farmers to take extra care when going about their daily work.
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This follows an incident on the Old Forbes Road on Monday where a 69-year-old male was pinned under a large 1.5mx1.8m square bale estimated to weigh between 500-600 kilograms.
While it was not known how the accident occurred - by the time paramedics arrived, the bale had been removed and the man was transported by the Orange-based Ambulance Service NSW helicopter to Orange Base Hospital with pelvis and hip injuries.
Another male, who attempted to lift the bale off the 69-year-old, was taken to Young District Hospital with back injuries.
Inspector Pollard said that incident, combined with the fatality at Cootamundra at the weekend, was a stark reminder of the dangers on farms.
He said while farm accidents did not form a huge percentage of the work of local paramedics, they were still significant enough.
“We have, over time, attended a range of incidents involving farmers being injured using machinary, moving livestock, trees falling and carting loads - there’s a whole range of different things that can happen on a property,” he said.
“It’s particularly relevant this week being National Farm Safety Week that farmers are exposed to a range of situations that are potentially dangerous and we ask them to be mindful of their safety,” he said.
