Farming isn’t child’s play and union calls for extra safety effort
WITH the school holidays now fully under way, a plea went out yesterday to farmers to take the time to think about the extra safety implications of having children around the farm.
Focusing on this aspect – as a week dedicated to improving farming’s dreadful safety record drew to a conclusion – the fact that four children were killed on farms in recent years was reiterated to draw attention to the extra precautions which were required when children were either helping or playing on the farm.
“Every child loves being on a farm, but while it can be a place of great fun and excitement, it can also be an extremely dangerous environment – especially for children,” NFUS chief executive Scott Walker said yesterday.
“However, too many children have lost their lives on Scotland’s farms over the past decade in what is always a horrific tragedy for families and a heart-breaking event for their communities. “
He said that the fact that children continued to be killed or injured on farms made it crucially important that the issue of farm safety was addressed, a plan devised – and then implemented properly.
“Summer is a time when children can be more at risk with the long school summer holidays and the challenging workloads for farmers,” he said.
“We are encouraging farming families to have a dedicated safe play area for younger children so as to keep them safe from heavy machinery and other dangers around the farm, particularly when farms are at their busiest.”
Walker said that, too often, children had access to the entire farm and viewed it as one big play space. “Children must be taught about farm dangers and be kept protected from these risks,” he said.
Cabinet secretary for rural affairs, food and the environment Richard Lochhead echoed this advice.
“The work of the Farm Safety Partnership is vital in providing information on safe working practices and safety tips for working with transport, equipment and cattle to help prevent deaths,” he said. “We all know farms are exciting and educational places for children, allow- ing their imaginations to thrive, but it’s important to remember they should be supervised at all times so risks can be reduced.
“It’s worth us all paying attention to the dangers that exist, especially going into the summer holiday months. They should still be encouraged to learn but safety needs to come first and Farm Safety Week reminds us of the importance of that.”
However, NFU Scotland made it plain that they didn’t want to see children discouraged from involvement with farms as it was important that they knew how food was produced:
“It is also important that the next generation of farmers are able to safely help their parents on the farm,” said Walker.
“If children are old enough, tell them about the dangers they should look out for and where they are not allowed to go and encourage them to be responsible.
“Don’t let them learn safety by accident. Always take the time to think about what you are doing on the farm, where the children are and what might go wrong as making a few simple checks could actually save a life – maybe your own child’s!”