A book that might save a life
A woman who lost her partner in a farm incident has written a book that she hopes will help keep children safe.
Harriet Bremner’s partner James died in a farm machinery incident in the Hakataramea Valley, inland from Timaru, in January last year. Now she has written, and on Monday launched e Safe, Be Seen, starring her miniature dachshund Poppy taking on the challenges of keeping safe on the farm as a little dog.
The primary teacher hopes children will heed the safety messages in the book, and that parents who read it to their children will be reminded to make safe choices at work every day.
“It’s about looking at the jobs to be done and making sure they can be done safely before you get started on them,” she said.
“If I can keep just one family together, because someone thinks twice about where they take the quad bike or heading back out to get a job done when they are exhausted, then my story has served a really important purpose.”
Al McCone, WorkSafe’s engagement lead for agriculture, said the book told a positive story to get children thinking about being healthy and safe on the farm.
“It’s an important time of the year for Harriet’s book to come out, with school holidays and the Christmas break seeing more kids out on the farm enjoying summer,” he said.
“Three children have died on New Zealand farms this year, and agriculture continues to have a tragic record for fatalities. This needs to be turned around. We’re encouraging farmers to make sensible decisions and be aware of the risks on the farm, and Harriet’s story is one way families can connect with these actions.”