This weekend is the last hurrah of summer for most before all schools return next week, and with the weather set to be nice, we have some farm-safety tips to remind us all of the dangers on-farm, and how to ensure that the little ones are kept safe and sound.

The nature of a ‘family farm’ means it can very often be difficult to exclude children from the farmyard activities – particularly when they want nothing more than to be stuck in the middle, learning and helping.

But the reality is that the farm is not a playground – we all know that – and keeping children away from it is best practice.

Children accounted for 10% of all farmyard fatalities in the 10 years between 2011 and 2020.

Farmyards are workplaces – they are busy and they are noisy, with traffic and machinery coming and going.

So the message is to ensure that children are kept away from the farmyard unless they can be ‘closely’ supervised.

You cannot work and keep them in your sight at the same time.

Deaths of children 2011-2020 – 10% of all fatalities

To help keep your kids safe on the farm, the Health and Safety Authority has the following advice.

  • A safe and secure play area for children should be provided away from all work activities, in full view of the dwelling house;
  • Where children are not in a secure play area a high level of adult supervision must be provided;
  • Children should not be allowed to access heights;
  • Action should be taken to keep children away from dangerous areas;
  • To eliminate the risk of drowning all open water tanks, wells and slurry tanks should be fenced off;
  • Children should be given clear instruction on safety issues on the farm.

Falls and farm safety

Children love to climb but a fall from a height, or sustaining an injury from a falling or moving object, can be fatal or life-changing.

Things you can do to prevent falls:

  • Make sure there is no access to high areas;
  • Don’t let children play on bales – they can fall off them or between them and suffocate;
  • Store ladders on the ground or on wall brackets so they can’t be climbed;
  • Keep all buildings, walls and fences in a good and safe condition;
  • Store items and equipment such as wire fencing and gates until you are ready to assemble them;
  • Secure gates and doors – heavy swinging gates or doors are very dangerous, especially in high winds;
  • Never leave equipment or items against walls, sheds or other structures. Children may climb on it or cause it to fall on them.
FARM SAFETY