Farm safety for kids: a video from the Primary Industries Health and Safety Partnership

TOP TIPS FOR KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE ON FARMS - Create an enclosed safe play area for young children, to define the boundary between home and workplace. - Make sure that children only ride two wheel motorcycles appropriate for their age and size, and wear helmets. Four wheelers are not safe for children at any age. - Make sure that children always wear seat belts when in cars, utes and trucks - on-farm and off. - Make sure that children are appropriately instructed and supervised when riding horses, and wear helmets. - Never allow children to ride as passengers on tractors, even when there is an enclosed cabin. - Make sure chemicals are stored in a secure place inaccessible to children. - Reinforce “out of bounds” rules for all children, including visitors. Source: Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety Miners and factory workers wouldn’t dream of taking their kids to work with them over the holidays, but for many farming families it’s a reality that their children will be living and helping out in one of Australia’s most hazardous workplaces. Research continues to show that dams are the biggest single cause of injury or deaths of children on farms, followed by quad bikes and then injuries associated with other farm vehicles, horses and machinery. The main hazards our children face on the farm are common to many families – dams, workshops and motorbikes, and when you’re out mustering you can add handling livestock, dehydration and getting lost. During school holidays, with older children back from boarding school in some cases and all children at home through the day, the Primary Industries Health and Safety Partnership (PIHSP) is urging all farm families to think about how to keep their kids safe on the farm. Younger children are at greater risk, with two thirds of children killed on farms being under five years of age. The next bracket, aged 5‐15 years, are more likely to end up in emergency departments with non‐fatal injuries, which is probably a reflection of them having more leisure activities involving horses and motorbikes, and being more involved in helping around the farm. PIHSP is funded by the Research and Development Corporations for the meat processing, cotton, grains, fishing and livestock industries as well as the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. For more information visit www.rirdc.gov.au/PIHSP. For more information about keeping children safe on farms, go to the Farmsafe Australia website: http://www.farmsafe.org.au/content/child-safety-on-farms