Kerry councillor Johnny Healy-Rae narrowly avoided serious injury after his hand was crushed while operating machinery. The incident could have resulted in far worse consequences.
Mr. Healy-Rae, who represents the Kenmare area and is the son of TD Danny Healy-Rae, was attaching a mower to a tractor last Thursday evening in what was intended to be a routine procedure.
Distracted by a ringing phone in his pocket, he instinctively reached for it. In that moment, his left hand was caught by a hydraulic ram.
In a split-second, four of his fingers on his left hand were crushed.
However, thanks to the quick thinking of his eight-year-old son, Daniel, who managed to pull a lever to release his father’s hand, the injuries were prevented from being even more severe.
“I can blame no one but myself,” Mr. Healy-Rae stated.
Mr. Healy-Rae has been around machinery for much of his life. Notably, his uncle, Michael, serves as Minister for State with responsibility for farm safety.
The councillor co-owns Healy-Rae Plant Hire with his brother, Dan, a company employing approximately 70 people.
He mentioned that health and safety training occurs weekly, and the office is filled with relevant safety notices.
Despite these precautions, he acknowledged that human error is inevitable.
Mr. Healy-Rae, a father of four, makes it a point to involve his children in farm activities and around machinery to familiarize them with the environment and its potential hazards.
On the day of the accident, he had been dealing with more intricate machinery issues, making the mower attachment seem like a simpler task.
He speculated that he might have been more attentive if the task had seemed more challenging.
“‘Tis a belt in the head I should get really for not watching what I was doing,” he told Radio Kerry on Wednesday.
His wife, Caroline, applied an icepack to his injured hand, and his brother drove him to the emergency department in Tralee for treatment.
During the journey, he realized the potential severity of his injuries.
“I’m extremely lucky, and I’m grateful,” he said. “I’m on the phone a lot. My phone rang — I could have left it ring.”
“Concentrate on one thing at a time would be the only small bit of advice I could give.”
