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| My shrubbery...all neat and tidy! |
Before I was sidetracked into writing another animal based trauma blog ( see the next bulldog/mouse/hysteria blog entry) I was going to bang on about farmers and their toys!
For a measly tenner a local farmworker has just given my field hedges a rather impressive short-back and sides with a machine that would not have looked out of place fighting alongside Sigourney Weaver in ALIENS!
Some of these pieces of equipment are truly terrifying, and I am constantly in awe of just how skillful these farmers are as they hurtle from one job to another without a seeming care in the world.
Mind you, it is not all plain sailing, death rates among agricultural workers is terribly high given the fact that only 1.5 % of the working population are employed in agriculture. 20% of all work related fatalities are from the farming sector and recent statistics state that on average one person a week is killed in the farming community in the UK....
makes you think eh?
In Canada the agricultural industry is the fourth most dangerous after mining, forestry and construction.
ReplyDeleteMakes me think? Not really...I've seen hubby with a chain saw!!
ReplyDeleteJane x
That's why my motto is to 'keep it simple'!
ReplyDeleteThose are some angry tools.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your 2999th post...bless the farmers who take the risks and keep us fed!
ReplyDeleteJust read your last post about the mouse, had me in stitches.
ReplyDeleteBriony
x
I've just this minute had 8 cu metres of oak delivered. I'm glad to report No deaths, no injuries, and no nasty grazes.
ReplyDeleteLast time I trimmed a bush with a power tool, I sawed right through the power-cord. I can't even imagine!
ReplyDeleteLovely bush cut that, John.
A tenner? A tenner??? It costs so much around here that it'd be cheaper for us to pay the train fare for him to come and do our bushes.
ReplyDeleteThere is some scary machines out there. It's a nice life having as little as possible to do with them!
ReplyDeleteI've always loved the bumper sticker:
ReplyDelete"You ate today?...thank a farmer."
Fnarr Fnarr!
ReplyDeleteThere is a fine line between trimming and over-trimming isn't there John. As to dangerous farm equipment, a friend's son was killed when his tractor rolled on to him and several children have been killed around here when their dads have accidentally backed into them - how would you live the rest of your life with something like that I wonder. Am now going to look at the latest trauma!
ReplyDeletethought you would appreciate that Thomas!
ReplyDeleteYou didn't go for the Brazilian then?
ReplyDeleteThat is definitely a good price. Look good, too.
ReplyDeleteI was waiing for you to chrip up chris!
ReplyDeletewe can be as silly as we like here
Living in a rural area in Cornwall where tractors are as common as all the other vehicles combined I am very well aware how dangerous the agricultural life can be. Some of the attachments/trailers that tractors trail are sometimes truly terrifying.
ReplyDeleteYou tease, you.
ReplyDeleteThe hubby has a chain saw thingy on a pole that he uses to cut out tree branches above his head !
ReplyDeleteI can't look.....
Your bushes look nice !
~Jo
"Trimming My Bush"? I thought I was going to read an article by Trinny and Susannah! I wonder if they hire farmers for the job too.
ReplyDeleteWe're a small farming community, but in the past 10 years have lost 5 residents. One was killed in a tractor accident, the 4 others were killed by the city slickers who drive through here too fast.
ReplyDeleteThat 20% figure is shocking. I guess it's partly because farms tend to be quite isolated without much external supervision so all sorts of careless practices go unnoticed.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, didn't see that coming. Then again I never considered how much machinery they're using these days.
ReplyDeleteYou had me doing some maths. That 1.5% of the working population in agriculture amounts to around 435,000 people, so the odds of a farmer being killed at work in any year is 8,700 to one.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what the odds are against a blogger being struck by lightning.
Stay safe!
ReplyDelete