Kids' Farm Safety In Focus

There is to be a new emphasis from this weekend on keeping children safe on the farm.

The Health and Safety Minister Arlene Foster launched the 2010 'Be Aware Kids' Child Safety on Farms calendar in Enniskillen and is pictured here with Crosby Cleland, HSENI Board Member.

The colourful calendar is part of an ongoing campaign - started by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) in 2004 - which aims to raise awareness initiative among farmers, farm families, teachers, agricultural contractors and suppliers in a bid to eliminate fatal child incidents on farms.

The HSENI wants to make them safer places where children can both live and play.

Chosen from over 350 entries, the calendar features twelve winning images from the 2009 'Be Aware Kids' Child Safety on Farms primary school poster competition.

The Minister addressed pupils, parents and teachers from across Northern Ireland during the launch event in the Clinton Centre, Enniskillen.

She said: "Farms are not only places of work but they are home to many families and children across Northern Ireland.

"Whilst farms are extremely enjoyable places for children to grow up on, they can also be extremely dangerous.

"In the decade preceding the launch of the campaign, 16 children died in farm-related incidents.

"Between 2005 and 2008, thankfully there were no child deaths, however, tragically, this year there have been two fatal incidents involving children on farms," she said.

"These are tragic reminders to us all that there can be no room for complacency and that the safety of our children must be a top priority.

"We must therefore make every attempt to protect our children from farm dangers. The 'Be Aware Kids' Child Safety on Farms Campaign helps to educate children about such hazards.

"This calendar," she continued, "uses images produced by children, and is being sent to every farm with children of primary school age across Northern Ireland to promote key safety messages and to help ensure these are communicated in a fun and engaging way."

Crosby Cleland, HSENI Board Member, said: "We want to make sure that child safety is on everyone’s mind within the farming community and that all play their part in protecting children from the many hazards on farms.

"The superb posters which form the basis of the calendar very graphically show the main dangers to children on farms and the calendar will be a timely and effective reminder for everyone in the farming industry," he said.

The top twelve winning entries in the poster competition can be viewed on HSENI's website www.hseni.gov.uk and 16,500 calendars will be distributed across the farming community.

(BMcC/KMcA)