The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) has today (Thursday, December 5) launched its annual calendar aiming to promote farm safety to children.
Around 25,000 “Be aware kids” farm safety calendars featuring the artwork of twelve young artists will be distributed to rural primary and special schools across Northern Ireland in the coming weeks.
The 12 winning posters were selected from almost 3,000 entries from 93 primary schools and special schools throughout Northern Ireland.
The HSENI runs an annual ‘Avoid Harm on the Farm’ poster competition.
HSENI
According to the HSENI, the objective of the competition and calendar is to raise awareness in children, who live in rural areas, about the dangers that exists for everyone living on or visiting a farm.
HSENI chief executive Robert Kidd said that every year HSENI inspectors visit rural primary schools to talk with children about a range of farm dangers.
“Working with schools, we discuss some of the main risks, such as slurry, animals, falls, falling objects, the dangers that exist from machinery and equipment, and the emerging and increasing risks that our older farmers face,” he said.
The launch of this year’s calendar took place at Moneymore Primary School in Cookstown where two of the winners of the poster competition are pupils.
All the winners in the competition have their artwork featured in the calendar and will receive a £50 gift voucher.
“We are enormously grateful for the support we receive from the teaching staff, who invite us to speak with their pupils in the safe and relaxed environment of school, and to our sponsors who have helped make the ‘be aware kids’ child safety on farms campaign so popular,” Kidd added.
The HSENI noted that farming continues to be one of the most dangerous occupations in Northern Ireland with 55 work-related fatalities in the ten-year period up to the end of 2023.
Tragically, this figure of 55 deaths includes two children under the age of 15.
