A new scheme has been launched by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSE NI), which is aimed at keeping children safe on Northern Ireland's farms. An activity pack, which contains advice for children, parents and teachers has been distributed to more than 300 rural schools. It is the latest phase of a campaign to promote safety, and follows on from the Farm Health and Safety Awareness Day in Ballymena, which we reported in the March Monthly Bulletin, that highlighted the dangers encountered when working on a farm.
Since the campaign's launch three years ago, no child has been killed in a farmyard accident. This compares to 18 deaths in the ten years previously. The scheme will involve working with schools and health services to make sure that children living on, or visiting farms across Northern Ireland are kept safe at all times. Recently, new health and safety laws were proposed with the aim of preventing such horrific deaths. Farmers will have to fence off part of their land for children who visit, so they can play safely. The new provisions will also prohibit children under the age of 13 from operating, driving or riding on agricultural machinery. Agriculture is the only industry in Northern Ireland that allows children between 13 and 16 to operate machinery and tractors.
