Children are naturally curious. A farm is a very tempting place for them. But a farm is a workplace. Unfortunately, children are killed every year on farms.

Never allow a child onto a farmyard unless they are closely supervised by an adult. It’s not possible to safely look after a child and work on the farm at the same time.

Any visitors or contractors on the farm should also be made aware that there are children nearby.

Create a safe place on the farm for children

If you live on a farm you must:

  • keep children out of work areas
  • have a fenced off safe play area in view of the home
  • have fencing with mesh right down to the ground – so that children cannot slip through gates and fences or climb over them
  • have easy to read danger signs and tell children what they mean

You should also do a risk assessment to find any risks to child safety around the farm.

The Health and Safety Authority has a risk assessment document you can download here.

Teach your child how to be safe on the farm

Talk to children about safety on the farm. Tell them about the dangers and set the rules. But don’t expect a child to take on the responsibility of keeping themselves safe. Children do not understand danger.

Dangers on the farm include:

  • falls on the farm
  • drowning on the farm
  • farm machinery
  • chemicals and poison
  • farm animals

Preventing falls on the farm

Children like to climb. Many serious, even fatal, injuries happen after a fall from a height or after a child has been hit by a falling or moving object.

Things you can do to prevent falls:

  • Make sure there is no access to high areas.
  • Don’t let children play on bales – they can fall off them or between them and suffocate.
  • Store ladders on the ground or on wall brackets so they can’t be climbed.
  • Keep all buildings, walls and fences in a good and safe condition.
  • Store items and equipment such as wire fencing and gates until you are ready to assemble them.
  • Secure gates and doors – heavy swinging gates or doors are very dangerous, especially in high winds.
  • Never leave equipment or items against walls, sheds or other structures. Children may climb on it or cause it to fall on them.
  • For more information, please visit: https://www2.hse.ie/wellbeing/child-health/child-safety-around-the-farm.html
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