Child Farm Safety Calendar Launched

A 2020 calendar promoting child safety in farming environments has launched across Northern Ireland.

The 'Avoid Harm on the Farm' calendar, developed by the Health and Safety Executive, features winning entries from last year's child safety on farms poster competition in the hope of reducing the amount of casualties and deaths caused by farming accidents.

Some 3,882 school children from 72 schools all over the region submitted entries last year.

The resource was launched at St. Joseph's Primary School, Donagh, this week where one of the winning entries attended.

Speaking at the launch, Robert Kidd HSENI Chief Executive, said the competition is a great way for local pupils to engage and think about the daily dangers in and around a farmyard, and to think about the steps they can take to ensure they stay safe on the farm.

He added: "The artistic flair and talent has again shone through, and it has not been an easy job selecting the winning entries, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the pupils and the schools for their continued contribution in this competition."

Michael Grew, St. Joseph's PS Principal, and a part-time farmer, said: "The area of Donagh is a rural community, so I appreciate the opportunity for St. Joseph's PS to be involved in the child farm safety calendar competition, as I feel passionately around the subject of educating our pupils on being aware of the risks involved in farming, or indeed living near a farm and coming into contact with machinery, animals and slurry storage facilities.

"We recently held a Farm Families Key Skills programme workshop, which was well attended and involved vital first aid training in the event of an accident occurring on their farm. This could prove the difference in saving someone's life."