Four transition year students in Co. Leitrim have designed a calendar as part of an innovative plan to raise awareness for farm safety in 2024.
Danielle Hall, Kate Harte, Emma Flynn-Duffy and Saoirse Shanley, who attend Carrigallen vocational school, have designed the calendar as part of their enterprise project for the year.
Hall comes from a dairy farm, and said that the frightening statistics around farm deaths and accidents were the catalyst for developing the calendar as part of their school project.
“Farming is the most dangerous occupation in the country. Unfortunately, we have seen so many lives lost and families broken up because of deaths and accidents on farms,” she said.
“Over one-third of all workplace fatalities in Ireland occur in farming. Approximately 2,500 serious injuries occur every year, and many are life changing.
“Making food, caring for animals and watching your family grow are among the great things we farmers can do.
“With that in mind, and to help get the message across to make 2024 a great year for farm safety, we have created a farm safety calendar,” Hall said.
According to Hall there is different farm safety tips for each month or “piece of advice based on what is happening on many farms across the country during that month”.
“In February, we have advice on keeping safe when calving cows, and in March we have advice on spreading slurry safely.
“So, when farmers are in their kitchen, milking parlours or calving sheds, they’ll be reminded every day of the importance of being safe that day,” said Hall.
The calendar can be purchased locally, or through the enterprise project’s Instagram account.