Child safety around the farm

Dangers to your child on the farm

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.

Important

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.

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.

Preventing drowning on the farm

Even a shower of rain can fill a container enough for a child to drown in. To keep children safe from water outside:

  • empty, fence off or safely cover anything that can collect water. This includes wells, ponds, drains, soak pits and water tanks
  • never leave children alone on a farm
  • fence off exposed areas, including slurry pits - slurry is both a drowning and suffocation risk
  • remind children to stay away from edges - shortened to SAFE
Information:

how to keep your child safe around water

Farm machinery and children

Children should never be allowed near tractors and farm machinery whether they are in use or not. An adult should always closely supervise them.

You should always:

  • lock unattended vehicles
  • leave vehicles in neutral and with the handbrake on
  • remove keys and keep them away from children
  • lower all loaders to the ground
  • guard all moving parts of machinery
  • put safety measures in place when finished using machinery

Children under 7 years old should not be allowed in the cab of a tractor or other farm machinery even with a passenger seat.

Children aged between 7 and 16 should not be allowed on tractors or trailers unless you have done a full risk assessment and:

  • it has a safety cab or frame fitted with a proper passenger seat with seat belts
  • they follow strict rules not to touch controls
  • they keep the seat belt on
  • they understand not to distract the driver

Set clear ground rules. Don't give children the habit of 'getting spins' on tractors and other farm machinery.

Farm animals and child safety

Children will want to touch animals. But they need to understand that animals can be dangerous.

You should:

  • keep children at a safe distance from livestock
  • remember that animals guarding their young could be more aggressive and unpredictable than usual
  • fit correct fencing and gates
  • supervise children if they are close to or feeding any animal.
  • teach children to always wash their hands after being with animals
  • keep sick animals away from children
Information:

Pets and child safety

Chemicals and poisons around the farm

Children under 16 should never handle chemicals.

Keep all pesticides, cleaning fluids, veterinary medicines and equipment:

  • away from children
  • in their original labelled containers
  • in a securely locked store

Never use soft drink bottles for storage of any chemicals, medicines, pesticides or any other poisonous or harmful substances.

Poisonous plants

Some plants are also poisonous. Children should not:

  • eat wild mushrooms or berries without first checking with an adult
  • pick ragwort
  • touch hogweed (often found near rivers and lakes) as it can cause nasty skin irritation
  • touch weeds, foxglove or poison ivy
Ragwort
Ragwort
Poison ivy
Poison ivy
Giant hogweed
Giant hogweed
Foxglove
Foxglove

Farming and the law

By law, all farmers must:

Page last reviewed: 26 March 2019
Next review due: 26 March 2022