Child Farm Safety
Scottish Agriculture is the proud home to many farming and crofting families, where multiple generations farm the land, producing food and sustaining the landscape and local rural economies. It's also a relatively dangerous occupation and the juxtaposition of people (often including children) and machinery/livestock/environmental hazards means that farming can be at the same time one of the best and worst places for family life.
It is widely recognised that the traditional farming model should be sustained in Scotland and much work is underway to help support young people into farming and to provide opportunities for the next generation - but this needs to be accompanied by a modern approach to Health & Safety.
This project seeks to raise awareness of key dangers on farms, and provide materials that can help guide parents' discussions with their children and other visiting children on Farm Safety.
If you want more information about Farm Safety please contact FAS helpline on 0300 323 0161 or email advice@fas.scot
Children love to get involved in farming but sadly children are killed or seriously injured every year during agricultural activities.
It is against the law to allow a child under 13 to ride on or drive agricultural self-propelled machines (such as tractors) and certain other farm machinery. The law also requires that employers make sure their risk assessment for young people under the age of 18 takes full account of their inexperience, immaturity and lack of awareness of relevant risks.
The law says that no child under 13 may drive or ride on tractors and other self-propelled machines used in agriculture. It is also illegal to carry children under 13 in the cab of an agricultural vehicle.
Before allowing children over 13 to operate a tractor, certain conditions must be met. These are described in full in HSE's free leaflet here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg472.htm
As this publication is aimed at temporary workers, we would not at all encourage children to operate machinery, particularly not temporary workers who are unfamiliar with the surroundings.
Children under 16 must not drive, operate, or help to operate, any of the following:
- Towed or self-propelled harvesters and processing machines.
- Trailers or feed equipment with conveying, loading, unloading or spreading mechanisms.
- Power-driven machines with cutting, splitting, or crushing mechanisms or power-operated soil-engaging parts.
- Chemical applicators such as mounted, trailed or knapsack sprayers.
- Handling equipment such as lift trucks, skid steer loaders or all-terrain vehicles.
More information on children’s safety and wider public safety on farms is available here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/topics/children.htm
This information is taken from our publication on Farm Safety for Temporary Staff. To read the full publication, click here.
Safety Kids - Keeping Children Safe During Lambing
Lambing is an exciting time seeing new-born lambs either in their pens or lambing outside and taking their first steps. Equally exciting is how young children love lambing time where they begin to understand the busy time, and how they are keen to help. With it being such a busy time and all hands are welcome, this simple series of cartoons show how important children look out for health and safety matters during lambing, so they have a safe and fun time during this period. We encourage you to sit with your youngsters to watch the short video to emphasise the importance of health and safety on the farm or croft.
Safety Kids - Stay Safe at the Autumn Sales
Autumn time is a busy period on farms and crofts, especially with sale time. It is exciting for children to see lambs and calves been sold, especially with all the hard work put into rearing them. This fun cartoon video emphasises how important safety is as young children are so enthusiastic to help, and accidents can happen. From wrapping up warm, been wary of young stock, and being careful around vehicles.
Safety Kids – Staying Safe on Farms and Crofts in Winter
Wintertime on farms and crofts is busy as work is done during shorter day length. There is lots of feeding to be done with tractors and ATVs going about buildings and fields as it gets dark. This fun cartoon video emphasises how important safety is as young children are so enthusiastic to help, and accidents can happen. From wearing reflective clothing, reporting any dangers and being careful around vehicles.
Safety Kids - Summer Children's Artwork Compilation 2021
Over the summer of 2021, we ran a poster competition that aimed to raise children’s awareness of the dangers on farms and crofts. It was divided into two categories – one for children under 7 and one for those aged from 7 to 12, with three prizes in each category. Children are asked to create a poster using paints, crayons or other materials showing examples of farm safety. The winners have been announced but all the entries were brilliant and we wanted to show them all for how creative they are. Thanks to all our entrants and congratulations to the winners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Derek Hanton from SAC Inverness has advised farmers on improving their health and safety and helped draw up health and Safety plans. Here he answers some questions and helps advise parents on how they can use the FAS resources to help increase their own children’s health and safety awareness on farm.
Interactive Learning
Click on the image below to be taken to an interactive video for use with your children.
Learning Aims:
- Help you and your child discuss the dangers of livestock and what rules you have for their and others safety
- Help children identify animal emotions and behavior, to understand animals are sentient
- Introduce ideas on how to make our farms and crofts safer for children and everyone else. Fostering a health and safety mindset at an early age.
You can access further information on how to use this tool here.
Colouring Sheets
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