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Protecting children must be A PRIORITY

Children are naturally curious and a farm is a very tempting place for them. But a farm is a place of work that can sometimes be dangerous, leading to serious accidents and even death, writes Jacinta O’Neill from Teagasc

Most children like to be outside helping on the farm. Mending fences and walls, hanging gates, tidying the farmyard, picking an odd stone, checking animals – there is always a job to be done. It is, however, important for everyone to remember that farms are not playgrounds and that when children are out on the farm they must be closely supervised and only take part in age-appropriate tasks.

Childhood fatalities

Health and Safety Authority (HSA) figures tell us that 17 children lost their lives due to farm related accidents during the 10-year period 2014-2023. Over 90 per cent of childhood deaths on farms had a farm vehicle or a machine involved. We must do better and protect children at all times on our farms. We must think about how we manage our farms and how we can safely involve children and young adults in farming activities.

HSA guidance

A safe and secure play area for young children should be provided, away from all work activities, in full view of the dwelling house. Where children are not in a secure play area, a high level of adult supervision must be provided. For farmers who only have children visiting, it is important that adults make arrangements to ensure children are supervised in these situations. Children should not be allowed access to dangerous areas and actions should be taken to keep children away from these areas (e.g. slurry pits, silage pits, grain/chemical stores, working machinery, high areas).

To eliminate the risk of drowning, all open water tanks, wells and slurry tanks should be fenced off.

Children should not be allowed near dangerous animals such as bulls, stallions, rams, stags and female animals with new-born young. Young children should not be allowed unsupervised access to the farmyard and discuss farm safety with visitors and agricultural contractors and  make contractors aware of the possible presence of children.

Tips for tractor and machine operators 

  • It is important to talk to children about the dangers of machinery and set the rules, but a child cannot be expected to keep themselves safe – this is an adult’s responsibility.
  • Always check blind spots for the presence of people especially children before moving off.
  • Take note of the possible presence of children along roads, around schools, villages and towns and always travel at an appropriate speed that provides time for a safe controlled stop.
  • Children can pose a danger to themselves and those around them even when they are in a modern tractor cab. They are naturally keen to help but a misplaced push of a button or a push of a lever in a cab can have devastating consequences (don’t put children in that situation)
  • Never allow children to travel on trailers, transport boxes or machines. The risk of falling off is very high and the consequences of this can be devastating. Machinery is not a playground.
  • Never allow children to help with tasks like tying down loads or climbing. Bales on a trailer or hitching a big bag of fertiliser are examples where materials on loads can move suddenly and a child may not notice the danger until it is too late.

Safe driving for young adults

Children under 14 can be very interested in tractors and self-propelled machines but they are not permitted to drive them. When they turn 14, they may be permitted to drive a tractor or self-propelled machine on the farm but their safety and the safety of people around them is of paramount importance. The HSA states that children aged 14 and over may be permitted to drive a tractor or self-propelled machine on the farm if:

  1. They have attended a formal training course run by a competent training provider.
  2. They are closely supervised by a responsible adult.
  3. They have the ability to operate the controls with ease.
  4. All the controls are conveniently accessible for safe operation by the operator when seated in the driver’s seat.
  5. The controls which operate the power take off (PTO) devices, hydraulic devices and engine cut-off are clearly marked to show the effect of their operation.
  6. The tractor is maintained so that it is safe for them to operate.
  7. The ground over which the tractor is driven is free from hazards such as steep slopes or excavations, river banks, lake or pond edges, deep ditches and similar areas.

Risk assessment

Every farmer with three or fewer employees must have a farm safety risk assessment document completed for their farm. One of the first sections of this document details measures that farmers should implement to help keep children safe. To find out more information on the completion of this document, please contact your local Teagasc office. You may also decide to register to attend a half day farm safety course which will help you develop a plan focused on managing safety on your farm.

Safety information for children

The Teagasc website has a wide range of interesting farm safety themed information and resources for children which can help children explore the world of farm safety in the comfort of their own homes. Additional farm safety resources available:

Health and Safety Authority: www.hsa.ie

Agrikids: www.agrikids.ie

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