Farm Families

Because farms are homes as well as workplaces, children and young persons are often in this high-risk environment, either as family members or as visitors. This can expose children and young persons to the risk of serious or fatal injuries on farms.

Over the past ten years, eight people under 18 years of age have died in incidents on Irish farms, all involving farm vehicles with children also sustaining serious life-changing injuries in farm incidents. All eight fatal incidents involved farm vehicles.

Children’s and Young Person’s Farm Safety Awareness Initiatives

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is implementing a series of initiatives aimed at primary school pupils and second level students to help improve Children’s and Young Person’s Farm Safety Awareness.

Primary School Pupils - Farm Safety Ambassador Programme

To promote best practice and to bring about behavioural changes to minimise the risks to the safety of children and young persons on farms, DAFM awarded funding of €77,241 to Irish Rural Link’s AgriKids for delivery of its Farm Safety Ambassador Programme to promote farm safety awareness among primary school pupils.

The project assists teachers, in participating primary schools, in educating their pupils about the potential dangers associated with farming and agriculture.

The Department is providing funding of €152,041 for these projects from its dedicated farm safety budget.

eTender for the provision of a Children’s and Young Person’s Farm Safety Awareness in Second Level Schools.

The Department is inviting applications/tenders seeking proposals which will promote children’s and young person’s farm safety awareness in second level schools for the next five years. The successful project will assist teachers in second level schools in educating their students about the potential dangers associated with farming and agriculture.

The Department is providing funding of €100,000 from its dedicated farm safety budget for 2026, with an option to extend the contract for a further four years

Successful project under this eTender must be delivered by November 2025.

The tender has been posted on the eTenders website www.etenders.gov.ie (Reference 8433993) with a closing date of 2pm, 20 July 2026.

Children’s and Young Person's Farm Safety Awareness at Public Events and Shows

As part of an eTender issued in 2025, the Department invited applications for projects which promote awareness of children’s and young person’s safety on farms at shows and events. The five-year contract was recently awarded to Irish Rural Link’s for its AgriKids - Farm Safe Roadshow.

The Department is providing funding of €22,250 from its dedicated farm safety budget for 2026.

Tractor Driving Safety Awareness Training for Children 14 years of age and older

The Open Call for farm Safety, Health and Wellbeing Projects 2026 includes Tractor Driving Safety Awareness Training for Children 14 years of age and older as one of nine themes.

The purpose of the training is to provide younger tractor drivers who are either new or have some experience in driving tractors with an introduction to operating tractors safely and competently. The course aims to provide children aged 14 years and older with an awareness of tractor driving safety.

Funding was awarded to 11 projects to deliver tractor driving safety awareness training to over 1,600 children aged 14 years and older in 2026.

General information on the safety of children on farms

The overall responsibility for securing the safety and health of children and young people on farms rests with adults. Young children must have a safe play area which is securely separated from the farmyard.

The main risks to children on farms include the following:

• Tractors and machinery: passengers should only be allowed on tractors where there is a passenger seat. Children under 7 years should not be passengers on tractors.
• Self-propelled harvesters, power-driven machines, sprayers, slurry spreaders and chainsaws: children must be kept away from machinery as the operator may not be aware of their presence.
• Drowning: make sure that all slurry tanks and water hazards on the farm are properly covered or fenced off to prevent access by children. Disused slurry tanks and water hazards should either be fenced off, filled in, or adapted so that they can no longer hold water or liquids.
• Tree felling: children should be excluded from areas where chainsaws are in use.
• Falls/building collapse: children tend to climb gates or wheels, particularly large tractor wheels. Gates and pillars should be properly erected, so they do not fall over. Tractor wheels should be stored on the flat or, if upright, should be firmly secured. Stacks of bales, pallets or timber are also temptations for children to climb. Stacks should be built carefully to ensure they do not collapse. Fencing should be erected to prevent children gaining access to dangerous areas.
• Livestock: children should not be allowed near dangerous animals such as bulls, stallions, rams, stags and female animals with new-born young. Children should not be present when animals are being released from buildings after being housed or when animals are being loaded into trailers.
• Chemicals/poisoning: children under 16 should not handle chemicals. Chemicals should be securely locked away in a store in their original containers.

Further Information:

• Health and Safety Authority Agriculture Code of Practice
• Teagasc Child Safety Page
• HSA advice on Child Safety on Farms
• Code of Practice on Children and Young Persons in Agriculture
• The Child Safety on the Farm Information Sheet
• Children and Safety on Farms
• Play Safe, Stay Safe on the Farm
• Stay Safe on the Farm with Jessy
• Farm Safety Primary School Presentation

Be mindful of the physical capabilities of older farmers and vulnerable adults on the farm. Almost half of all farm fatalities involved victims aged 65 years or older. Older people are particularly vulnerable to fatal injuries involving livestock and involving falls.

The HSA Guide to Safety for Older Farmersand the HSA information for farmers over 65 have advice on how to reduce risks.