Co-operation was the spirit as approximately 700 children attended a special farm safety education day organised by Eilish and David Quinn of Carnew Mart, along with AgriKids and the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) recently.
A farm safety workshop was presented by AgriKids founder, Alma Jordan. The children were also brought on a tour of the mart to show all that goes on at a busy livestock sales yard and how important safety protocols are implemented and followed.
George Graham, from Awareness Head to Toe along with Alice Doyle, chair of the IFA farm family committee, highlighted the need for machinery safety.
Accidents involving machinery remain the number one cause of farm related child deaths.
Minster of State with responsibility for farm safety at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, attended and spoke of how such an event could be replicated throughout the country.
Every child was given a goody bag which included a high visibility vest and an AgriKids farm safety handbook.
Alma said that the day was a success due to the teamwork and co-operation that was at play.
“In my opinion, collaboration is key to improve and promote farm safety to young children and a day like this one proves that point,” she said.
“AgriKids’ farm safety message has been designed to engage, educate and empower children to be farm safety ambassadors and to help future farmer be farm safe and to stay farm safe. It is something that can be used by the whole family,” Alma said.
‘”The children learned simple tips and advice that can be taken on board and implemented with minimum effort and maximum effect.
“Farm safety is for everyone, and by including children in the conversation, we are creating a sustainably farm safe future for everyone. That is why my ‘engage, educate and empower’ message is so important,” she added.
“I have been running these workshops for nearly seven years and after this event, I have reached nearly 70,000 children with the farm safety message. Co-operation will help spread that message further.”