15 June 2004 - HSENI Launches Be Aware Kids Campaign
The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) aims to eliminate all fatal farm accidents involving children with the launch of their new innovative 3-year safety awareness campaign. The campaign will be run with the co-operation of Ulster Farmers Union and other partners. The Be Aware Kids campaign will be targeting children, their parents, the farming community as a whole and those who work and interact with them.
There has been many tragic deaths as a result of a multitude of incidents including:
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falling from a moving tractor or machine
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drowning in a slurry tank or other liquid storage area
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struck by a heavy falling object
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run over by a vehicle at a farmyard
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trampled by a cow
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smoke inhalation in a fire
With primary school children being most at risk, there has been a sad loss of 18 children over the last 10 years. The campaign brings a poster competition to the children asking them to design a poster based on the dangers associated with farming. The winning entries will go to make a 2005 calendar to be widely distributed to reinforce key child safety messages in the farming community.
Derek Nixon, HSENI Board Member, Chair of the Farm Child Safety Campaign Working Group commented:
"Family-run farms are homes as well as potentially dangerous workplaces and, as such, they present unique risks to children. The 'be aware kids' campaign aims to mobilise everyone involved in farm life to make farms safer places for children. In tackling this issue we have established a strong and wide network of key partners including teachers and health visitors to deliver a comprehensive package of awareness raising initiatives over a three-year programme."
More information can be found on the HSENI web site here.
