With the closure of many schools across the country in response to coronavirus (COVID 19) children are likely to be at home for some time. HSE is giving out the following messages and would like to spread them as widely as possible within the industry in order to keep children safe:
- Children should not be allowed in the farm work place (and for young children they should enjoy outdoor space in a secure fenced area).
- Any access to the work area by children under 16, for example for education, or knowledge, experience, should be planned and fully supervised by an adult not engaged in any work activity.
- Children under the age of 13 years are specifically prohibited from driving or riding on any agricultural machine.
Further guidance can be found on HSE’s website, here
Keeping children safe on farms
- NFU Keeping children safe on farms – NFU report on keeping children safe on farms.
- DEFRA HSE Kidsafe on farms – a compilation of child-safety films.
Downloads:
The documents below from HSE address how to keep children safe on the farm.