Farm Safety

Christian Brothers Secondary School, Mitchelstown, Co. Cork , 2016

CATEGORY: Make Our World Safer Challenge

The Idea

In recent years with the growth of machinery on farms, young people are getting injured on farms more frequently. The Farm Safety team want to change this, and aim to reduce the number of farm related accidents involving young children. The team has raised awareness about farm safety amongst young children and their parents.

The Action

The team discovered that the promotion of farm safety in primary schools was almost non existent in their area, and worked with Cork County Council to change this. They created a fun and educational pack designed for children between ages 6 to 12. They worked with a number of different groups, including the IFA, AIB, HSA and The Irish Farmers Journal to help promote and grow their project. Anne Baker from the IFA safety council talked to the team’s class about farm safety. This was very useful for helping to choose what farm facts to include in the educational pack. They also met with the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney and An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and presented him with an educational pack.

The Impact

The Farm Safety book created by the team, “Adventures On Beech Tree Farm; The Freshly Calved Cow” has been distributed to local schools, libraries and businesses, where it is making a great impact. The team plans to continue to promote their farm safety pack amongst primary schools, as well as working closely with Cork County Council to promote safety and produce a possible second book with them. The team also aims to visit a number of agricultural shows during the summer to promote their product.

2016 Young Social Innovators of the Year Bronze Award