Keep your child safe on the farm this summer

Over the past decade, 17 children have lost their lives in farm accidents in Ireland. The best way to prevent such heartbreak is through proactive safety measures. As the summer holidays approach, now is the ideal time to review the child-safety protections in place on your farm.

Children are often curious and lack a full understanding of risks. Unlike adults, they may not recognise the dangers posed by fast-moving vehicles, unpredictable animals, or hazardous substances. That’s why it is critical to enforce strict safety measures and to educate children about farm dangers.

Summer on the farm

With the silage season upon us, farms will become hives of activity. Data from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) shows that 94 per cent of child fatalities on Irish farms involve vehicles such as tractors, quads, and machinery. With this in mind, it is important to keep children away from the farmyard during silage operations. Whenever children are on the farm, they should be properly supervised at all times.

Essential safety measures for children

When children are on the farm, vigilance is key. Here are five essential steps to safeguard their lives:

1. Establish a safe play area

A farm is not a playground! The best way to balance both is by designating a secure play area, well away from potential hazards. A good play area should:

• Be fenced off to prevent access to machinery or animals; and 
• Be within clear sight of a responsible adult.

2. Supervise at all times 

Children should never be left unsupervised on a working farm. Even a brief lapse in attention can lead to serious consequences.

Bringing children along while completing farm tasks can provide valuable teaching moments, but safety must remain the top priority. It must be clear to the child that they can only visit the farm when accompanied by a responsible adult. 

3. Keep children away from vehicles

With farm vehicles responsible for most child fatalities, strict exclusion zones around operating machinery are crucial. Key safety rules for vehicles:

• Always check for children before starting or reversing machinery; and 
• Educate children about the dangers of playing near moving vehicles. 

Following the Code of Practice on Preventing Accidents to Children and Young Persons in Agriculture is essential for ensuring proper vehicle safety standards on farms. The Code states that a child must be at least seven years of age before they are allowed to sit in a tractor and only then provided there is a properly designed and fitted passenger seat, with a seat belt, inside a safety cab or frame.

4. Secure hazardous areas

Farms are filled with potential dangers, from slurry pits to stacks of hay bales. Children’s natural curiosity can lead them into life-threatening situations. Prevent accidents by:

• Installing child-proof fencing around high-risk areas (e.g., chemical stores, machine zones, slurry pits);
• Keeping doors to hazardous areas locked at all times; and
• Teaching children to recognise and avoid dangerous zones.

5. Teach livestock safety

Farm animals can be unpredictable, particularly bulls, stallions, rams, and female livestock with newborns. A startled or aggressive animal can seriously injure a child in seconds.

Best practices for livestock safety:

• Never allow children to enter enclosures with animals; and
• Teach children to respect livestock and to recognise warning signs of aggression.

Call to action

Preventing child injuries and fatalities on farms requires a proactive approach. Safety must become a core part of daily routines. The responsibility falls on all of us; parents, grandparents, farm workers, and the wider agricultural community.

Take action today

Review your farm’s safety measures and discuss them with your family. A few simple changes could save a life.

Data source: Health and Safety Authority Fatalities in Agriculture Data (2014-2023).