Child Safety on Farms Week 2017 launched

Summer is a particularly dangerous time for children on farms as they’re off school and are about more when work activity is running at a very high level - often with contractors on-site operating potentially dangerous vehicles and machinery.

Tragically, since the year 2000 twelve children have lost their lives due to farm accidents, including a four year old boy who lost his life in an accident on a farm earlier this year.

Child Safety on Farms Week is part of the ongoing Child Safety on Farms campaign organised by HSENI and supported by the members of the Farm Safety Partnership.

The campaign aims to eradicate fatal and serious accidents through an extensive education and outreach programme which includes a programme of planned school visits throughout Northern Ireland.

This involves HSENI inspectors visiting rural primary schools to deliver interactive workshops about farm safety and this year more than 80 schools and 8,000 pupils have been visited.

To help promote safety for children on farms a free app called ‘Farm Secure’ is available for Android and IOS devices.

Developed by students at the University of Ulster’s School of Nursing and sponsored by the Farm Safety Partnership (FSP), the app is aimed at key stage 1 pupils in P1 to P3 and features videos and an interactive quiz.

Urging farming families to take extra care this year, HSENI Chief Executive Keith Morrison said: “Children love farms. They love animals, they love machinery, they love climbing on things, and they love helping out parents and grandparents.

“But as we know all too well, farms are very dangerous places and the unthinkable can happen in just a few seconds. Precautions must be taken to keep children safe at all times.”

Mr Morrison continued: “It is vitally important to educate children about safety on the farm so that they are aware of potential dangers and learn how to avoid them.

“I am urging all parents to make safety a priority today. Please talk about safety as a family and put in place simple measures now so that your family have a happy and safe summer on the farm.”

Mr Morrison concluded: “The farm SAFE (Slurry, Animals, Falls and Equipment) message applies to everyone on the farm. Please make sure children are kept well away from livestock, harmful substances, falling objects, slurry gas and slurry tanks, and moving vehicles such as tractors, quad bikes or harvesters.”

President of the Ulster Farmers’ Union Barclay Bell added: “Children need to know that farms can be dangerous playgrounds and we as parents must take practical steps to help prevent accidents.

“This could be by adding a securely fenced play area for young children or by making sure your children are always kept out of the farmyard and fields unless under the close and direct supervision of a responsible adult.

“Remember, if your children are old enough, it’s good to talk to them about farm safety so that they learn how to keep themselves safe.”

Farm safety checklist for parents:

Have a safe and secure play area for young children

Prevent children from playing in or around farmyards and livestock

Prevent all children under the age of 13 from riding on tractors and farm machinery

Restrict the use of the quad and provide suitable safety equipment

Secure all heavy wheels, gates, heavy equipment and stacked materials to Prevent them from toppling over

Ensure your slurry lagoon is securely fenced to prevent children from gaining access and make sure tank covers are always in place

Always keep children well away when mixing slurry

Keep track of where family members are playing or working and when they are expected back

Make sure everyone washes their hands before eating and drinking

Keep chemicals locked in a secure store when not in use

Make sure that guards are in place to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery

Make sure all family members know what to do in an emergency

Prepare a list of emergency contact telephone numbers