Following a competitive process, Agri Aware has been awarded the contract to deliver the Farm Safety First Programme this year, with an option to extend the contract annually up to 2031.
The awarding of the tender to promote young persons’ farm safety awareness in second level schools has been welcomed by Limerick County TD and Minister of State for Forestry, Farm Safety and Horticulture, Niall Collins TD.
Eight people under 18 years of age lost their lives on Irish farms over the past decade, all involving farm vehicles. While this is a significant reduction on the 74 fatal incidents involving people under 18 years of age in the 1980s, 8 fatalities are 8 too many. 8 families devasted by the loss of a loved one, eight lives cut short in their prime. The Farm Safety First programme is one of a number of initiatives in educating young people about farm safety with a view to preventing or reducing the number of incidents on farms.
PROMOTING BEST PRACTICE
Agri Aware chair, Shay Galvin, said that it’s critical, particularly at a young age ‘to instil good habits and make aware the dangers on farms, particularly around the use of machinery and care of livestock to the next generation’.
“The Farm Safety First programme offers not only resources to teachers to use in the classroom but offers a practical element via in-person workshops and farm visits that will promote best practice while working on a farm and ultimately help to reduce the risk of accidents on farms in the future,” he said.
While Minister Collins said that the programme will assist second level teachers in educating their students about the dangers associated with farming.
“I would encourage schools and teachers to embrace this initiative and the farm safety awareness training that this programme will deliver. We all have a role to play in promoting and demonstrating best practice when it comes to farm safety. It is only by promoting best practice and discouraging risk taking that everyone, including young people and children, will adopt a responsible approach to farm safety.”
For further information, visit www.gov.ie/farmsafety.
