Farm Safety Campaign to mark National Farm Safety Week

Agri Aware has launched its Faces of Farm Safety Campaign to mark National Farm Safety Week 2020, which began on Monday, July 20th. Over the course of the week, farmers and well-known agri-business sector figures will feature on Agri Aware’s social media platforms, where they will share best farm safety practices and advice on how to avoid potential farm accidents. 

The campaign will focus on different themes, which include livestock, elderly, children, falls from height and tractor safety. The campaign is in support of National Farm Safety Week 2020, which is ran by the Irish Farmers’ Association and the Farm Safety Foundation - Yellow Wellies and which is this year focusing on the theme : It’s Time to Take Safety Seriously.

Over the years Agri Aware has been to the forefront of farm safety education in Ireland. Most recently Agri Aware partnered with the Irish Farmers Journal/Irish Country Living and ESB Networks to run a Safe Family Farms Competition, which encouraged members of the public to submit their innovative farm safety ideas and inventions.

Kilkenny boy, Jack Culleton was crowned the winner of the competition for his farm safety idea ‘Know Your Zones’ which used different colours to highlight areas of risk around his family’s farm in Piltown. Agri Aware is also an active member of the Health and Safety Authority’s Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee and developed a seven-minute farm safety drama video in 2016 called ‘Once Upon A Farm’. 

The video is relevant now more than ever as there has been 14 farm fatalities so far this year, with three of the fatal incidents involving children and nine involving the elderly. Agri Aware encourages farm families to watch the video and take note of how to avoid dangers on farm.

Agri Aware also developed a “Dig In - Learning about life in the Countryside” resource for primary school students and hosted a farm safety maize at the National Ploughing Championships in 2015. Speaking about the Faces of Farm Safety campaign, Agri Aware Executive Director Marcus O’Halloran said: “We are delighted to once again run our important Faces of Farm Safety campaign to support National Farm Safety Week 2020. 

“Now in its third year, this high impact campaign aims to raise national awareness of the dangers on farm. We’d like to thank all of our patrons and members of the farming and agribusiness community who will be featured in the campaign throughout the week.

“We would also like to draw the public’s attention to our numerous farm safety resources and especially our ‘Once Upon A Farm’ video which effectively highlights the potential dangers on farm for children and shows how the farm is not a playground and must be treated like a workplace.”

JOIN IN ON THE CAMPAIGN
You can keep an eye on Agri Aware’s Faces of Farm Safety Campaign on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook by following @agriaware or searching for #FacesofFarmSafety20.
To join in on the campaign and share your own farm safety message, tag @agriaware in your video on social media and use #FacesofFarmSafety20.
To view the Agri Aware Once Upon A Farm Video visit – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmauuRNZLWI&feature=emb_logo