How Kid Safe is your farm – Tinney’s Toys
This is the busiest time of year on Irish farms. Machinery is humming at all hours of the day as farmers work round the clock to beat the weather. The agricultural community is completely caught up in spreading slurry and fertilizer, mowing the fields, dipping and clipping sheep and the unending list of work that makes summer both the most tiring and the most rewarding for farm families. Traditionally and naturally, it’s a case of all hands on deck when silage is to be tackled, or when the turf needs footing. But let’s take a moment to think about the unthinkable. How safe are children on your farm?
For all farming folk, it is wise to make a risk assessment of the hazards and problems which might cause problems for children on your farm. This is just common sense. A risk assessment is a pretty fancy name for making a list of all the awful things that you think could happen. It’s not a nice job, as no one wants to even contemplate the horror of a farm accident at their own door. But, it could mean averting potential tragedy for you and for your little loved ones.
The website Farm Safety for Kids offers a useful checklist for families and an easy to follow risk assessment questionnaire for you to fill in.
Once you have identified the problem areas, you can tackle them and reduce and eliminate the chance of accidents. Machinery: Remember that children never travel without a seat belt in the car, so there is no excuse for a gaggle of children bouncing around inside a tractor cab. No fitted seat and no fitted belt means no traveling in the tractor. Cover or fence off all water sources and drainage areas, such as slurry pits, wells etc. Consider the dangers around, click here to read the full story.
