Farm Sense aims to raise awareness of safety in the farming community itself. The project team aims to change the attitudes towards risk that farmers take and to teach young people to avoid these risks from an early age. The team's goal is to increase the safety for farm families so that family farm can remain just that, a place where the family can work together in safety.
The Action
In 2014, 27 people died in farm accidents in Ireland. The members of Farm Sense want to change this statistic, and have been working with organisations including the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) and the Farm Tractor & Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA) to improve awareness of farm safety.
The team has trialled the use of sensors that will alert farmers of obstructions that may not be visible while driving, and is in the process of producing two products to keep children safe in farmyards.
The Impact
The project team is continuing to develop its products, and has received promotion of their work from FTMTA and IFA. The aim is to offer the option of sensor technology to all members of the FTMTA. The team also wants to continue to educate in schools and is planning to create a school module on farm safety. In 2015 the team represented Ireland in the Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) World Cup in Seoul, South Korea. In 2016, the team continued as a Step Up project, further testing and promoting the sensor project. They secured funding and raised the profile of the project amongst the farming community and beyond.
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