Published: 17 February 2005
Children on Farms
An eight-strong partnership of key players in the agricultural industry has launched two new leaflets, one for children and one for adults, aimed at helping to reduce the number of accidents and incidents of ill-health affecting children on farms.
A survey of deaths since 1993 reveals that 45 children under 18 years of age have been killed in the past ten years.
The major causes of fatal injuries to children and young people continue to be:
- struck by moving vehicle,
- drowning/asphyxiation,
- struck by moving object,
- fall from height,
- contact with machinery and
- fire.
Mike Walters, a Health & Safety Executive (HSE) Inspector seconded to the Transport & General Workers' Union (TGWU), spearheaded the partnership made up of:
- HSE,
- TGWU,
- National Farmers Union (NFU),
- NFU Mutual,
- the ADAS rural economy consultancy,
- Women's Food & Farming Union (WFU),
- Farms for Schools and
- Cardiff University School of Social Sciences.
Since the TGWU was formed, one of its goals has been to secure greater protection for children on farms. A
key objective has been to prevent children under 16 years old from working on farms altogether.
In addition, the TGWU want to see the rural and farming culture shift so that farms stop being regarded as an extension of the home and, by association, a fit place for children to be.
Mike Walters said:
"Agriculture has one of the highest fatal accident rates of any industry in the UK and is also the only high-risk industry that has to deal with the constant presence of children.
Farms are homes as well as workplaces and visitors to the countryside, many of whom are children, are often present on farms.
In the ten years from 1993 to 2003, 45 children were killed on farms and HSE received reports of nearly 400 serious injuries to children, with many more incidents going unreported.
Last September a 13-year-old boy was shot dead on farmland in Devon whilst taking part in a fox-shoot.
It is extremely important that all adults in the industry take responsibility for keeping children safe and stopping them going to areas where they might be at risk."
Further information
On the research work being undertaken by Mike Walters
Leaflets:
Other related leaflets include:
HSE agriculture website
Transport & General Workers' Union (TGWU)
campaign relating to children on farms
National Farmers Union (NFU)
children's website
Farms for Schools
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