In the wake of another tragic death on an Irish farm, we asked Alma Jordan, author of the farm safety series ‘Tales from Riverside Farm’ and Founder of AgriKids, for her tips on allowing children to explore and enjoy the countryside in a safe and rewarding way.
“I am a reluctant farmer’s wife. I had no natural want to learn the culinary skills of brown bread baking. If ‘himself’ needs a few emergency sandwiches for the lads in the field, I’m pretty sure I’m not the first one he calls. Does this bother me? Of course not, but it does bother my mammy, the quintessential farmer’s wife.
However, I did grow up on a farm and I appreciate the love a farmer has for his land and livestock. Not many would willingly enter an occupation where the losses frequently outweigh the gains. It is a true love, but it is a love that can be deadly.
Last year 30 people perished on our farms, five of these were children. News of every new death hits me hard. My own little boy, at the ripe old age of two, is determined to be a farmer like his dad, granddads and uncle Derek.
According to the HSA, farming continues to be the most dangerous occupation in Ireland, about 2,000 people are injured every year. Is my family on course to be a future farm safety statistic?
As a marketer, I have critically looked at how farm safety was being promoted. Awareness campaigns are directed only at the farmer – a self-employed individual operating within a heavily regulated environment, with high overheads and a return governed by fluctuating markets. With so much already on their mind, safety can fall down their ever growing list of priorities.
So I have wondered, who else can we add to the farm safety awareness strategy? Farmer’s wives and farmer’s children perhaps? Both are massively impacted in the aftermath of a farming accident and fatality, yet their role in its prevention is not, as far as I believe, fully realised.
Through engagement and education, we could empower our children to be farm safety ambassadors, creating dialogue and encouraging farm safety practice directly in the home. The Green Schools programme has been wildly successful in boosting recycling rates, so maybe something similar can work here.
I believe everyone has a role to play to initiate this change in behaviour and culture. A spirit of collaboration from all vested groups is required, including farmers and their families.
The summer months mean more farming activity and children visiting farms, so here are some top tips to help us all be ‘Farm Safe and Stay Farm Safe’:
1. Make sure children are never alone on the farm.
2. When specific work, such as slurry agitation is planned, tell your family to stay away (and why).
3. Use farm visits as an opportunity to explain dangers with tractors, animals.
4. Set age-appropriate ground rules.
5. Explain the warning signs with animal behaviour.
6. Explain what the various symbols mean on toxic materials.
7. Set up a dedicated play area – farmyards are not playgrounds.
8. Have an action plan in the event of an emergency.
9. Keep your first aid kit stocked and accessible.
10. Show your children how you prevent farm accidents.
Learn more about Alma’s AgriKids initiative so your children can enjoy the countryside in a safe way this summer.
