Cork student wins BT Young Scientist safety award

Cork student Cathal O’Sullivan was the overall winner of the ABP Farm Safety Award at the 2021 BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE) with his innovative project, titled ‘Preventing machine accidents with warning systems’.

The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is one of the largest and longest-running STEM events in the world.

Cathal impressed the judges with his innovative and forward-thinking project that is designed to prevent accidental injuries and deaths from farm machinery.

The student from Beara Community School in Castletown-Bearhaven designed a device that alerts users when they are too close in proximity to spinning machine parts, preventing them from accidentally coming into contact with them.

For the seventh consecutive year, ABP Food Group has sponsored the Farm Safety category, which year-on-year has produced ground-breaking projects from students across the country.

Livestock Strategy Manager, ABP, Annie Graham said : “On behalf of everyone in ABP, I would like to congratulate Cathal O’Sullivan on his successful award submission. His innovative project embodies the spirit of this award, finding new solutions to make our farms safer. We would also like to thank all of the entrants for their submissions, and for their role in helping to increase awareness around this very important issue.” 

The area of farm safety is a priority for ABP, and it is an issue that is still prevalent in Ireland today.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine reports that there were 19 fatal incidents on farms in 2020, with three of these being children under the age of 18, and nine being farmers aged 65 or more.