ARTISTIC TALENT ENCOURAGES FARM SAFETY

HSE press release: E097:03 - 19 June 2003

From thousands of entries, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today announced the Scottish winners of the children's farm safety poster competition.

Part of HSE's ongoing child safety campaign, the competition was open to children in rural primary schools throughout Scotland. Pupils were encouraged to design a poster highlighting the dangers that they may face on a farm.

Mark Speight of the Children's BBC art programme 'SMart' presented the prizes to the talented youngsters and said: "This competition is an excellent idea. Not only has it inspired children to produce some brilliant artistic posters but it has also helped them to learn that farms can be dangerous places and that they need to be aware and stay safe."

The winning entry in the five to eight year old age category was Charlie Egan of Mulbuie Primary School, Muir-of-Ord, Ross-Shire who designed an excellent poster spelling out farm safety. The overall winner in the nine to twelve age category was Sonia Brims of Bower School, Bowermadden, Wick who produced a poster which highlighted several important farm safety issues.

The six winners of the competition were awarded their prizes in a ceremony in the HSE child safety marquee at the Royal Highland Show, Edinburgh. Prizes included computers for the schools of the two first prize winners, book tokens for the runner up schools and personal prizes for all of the winning children.

Linda Williams, HM Chief Inspector of Agriculture said: "Children are tragically killed and injured on farms every year and this is of great concern to the Health and Safety Executive. The poster competition has been introduced to help educate and inform children of the dangers that exist on the farm and to help them to realise that farms are not playgrounds.

"This is the third year of the competition and it seems to be going from strength to strength. We have been inundated with entries and the standard of all the posters has been fantastic. We feel that the competition is fulfilling its aim of raising awareness of the importance of farm safety to children as well as also highlighting safety issues within rural communities."

Other campaign initiatives include a new agricultural child safety video called 'Safe! - helping children to stay safe on farms' which has been produced to teach children about the dangers farms hold. The video follows Tanya, Josh and Alex around a farm as they point out all the hazards and explain how simple things can cause accidents. The video is aimed at a primary school audience has also been supported by the launch of a revised version of Stay Safe on the farm. There is also an advertising campaign in the farming press running throughout the school summer holidays.

Notes to editors

Child deaths since 1992 revealed:

• Forty-two children (under 16 years of age) have been killed in the past ten years. Three of them were classed as employees and 39 as members of the public.
  
• Being struck by a moving vehicle was the main cause of death to children accounting for 15 deaths (38% of the child fatalities). Other major causes include asphyxiation or drowning (nine deaths - 23%) and contact with moving machinery (four deaths - 10%).
  
• Of the 39 child deaths, those aged between one and five years were most at risk. Twenty children (51%) fell into this age group. Ten children were aged between six and ten years and the remaining nine children were aged between 11 and 15 years.

THE WINNERS

Five years old to eight years old:

• First prize winner: Charlie Egan, eight years old, Mulbuie Primary School, Muir-of-Ord, Ross-shire.
  
• Second prize winner: Rebecca Moses, seven years old, Mulbuie Primary School, Muir-of-Ord, Ross-shire.
  
• Third prize winner: Niamh Cochrane, five years old, Ferryden Primary School, Montrose, Angus.

Nine years old to twelve years old

• First prize winner: Sonia Brims, eleven years old, Bower School, Bowemadden, By Wick, Caithness.
  
• Second prize winner: Joanna Baxter, ten years old, Leswalt Primary School, Stranraer
  
• Third prize winner: Rhona Stewart, eleven years old, Kirkmichael Primary School, Kirkmichael, Perthshire

Press enquiries

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