Farm safety messages launched to rural schools across Northern Ireland

HSENI has launched its 2022 ‘Avoid Harm on the Farm’ child farm safety calendar which delivers potentially lifesaving messages to children in over 430 rural primary, and special schools across Northern Ireland.

In June this year HSENI invited rural Primary School pupils (foundation, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2) and pupils from Special Schools in Northern Ireland to enter a poster competition highlighting common farm dangers. Twelve winning hand drawn pictures were selected from over 2750 entries with each ‘junior artist’ receiving a £30 gift card and having their picture included in the 2022 calendar. 

Launching the calendar at Irvinestown Primary School, Enniskillen, HSENI Chief Executive Robert Kidd said: “Farming continues to be one of the most dangerous occupations in Northern Ireland with 69 work related fatalities in the ten years up to the end of last year. Tragically this includes three children under the age of 15.”

Over 43,000 copies of the calendar will be distributed exclusively to rural primary schools and special schools for children to take home.

Robert Kidd continued: “Our calendar competition continues to be a great way to deliver safety messages in an engaging way to children that will help form their approach to farm safety now and in the future.

“This year we had entries from 80 schools and I thank all the pupils, teachers, and our sponsors for helping us keep children safe on the farm.”

The calendar was sponsored by Farm Safety Partnership members and affiliates: Abbey Autoline, NFU Mutual, PowerNI, Ulster Farmers Union, Northern Ireland Safety Group, CAFRE, and LANTRA.

For more information about child safety on farms visit:  www.hseni.gov.uk/farmsafety