A new e-learning course has been created about keeping children safe on the farm during the summer holidays.

Wales Farm Safety Partnership, alongside Lantra Cymru has created the course.

The course, entitles ‘Children on Farms’, takes roughly 45 minutes to complete and provides participants with the knowledge and tools to ensure a safe and enjoyable summer for the whole family.

The course covers a wide range of child safety topics on the farm, including legal responsibilities, vehicle safety (tractors, ATVs), preventing falls, and managing hazards around equipment and harmful substances. It also emphasises the importance of creating a farm safety checklist.

Kevin Thomas Lantra Wales Director sai:; “Lantra understand the importance of children on family farms and fully support the need for the next generation to have a keen interest on the day-to-day workings of the farm, but it must be done with safety in mind.

“Lantra are fully committed to farm safety, especially for children, which is why Lantra have made this course free for everyone to complete”.

A toolkit on child safety has also been created to underline the safety of children on farms.

Farms can be a dangerous place for children. Young children need a safe play area separate from the work zones, and for older children (under 16), any visit to the work area must be planned, closely supervised by an adult that’s not working, and for educational purposes. 

Everyone in a farm workplace has a responsibility to protect children who are vulnerable because of their age and physical and mental immaturity.

Vehicles and machinery present the greatest risk to children and are probably the areas of farm life most attractive to older children.

Meleri Jones, Farming Connect’s Health and Safety Coordinator, said: “It’s important to keep safety in mind when children are on farm – you don't want to live with regret.”

For more information on the safety of children on Farms, visit the Farming Connect website https://businesswales.gov.wales/farmingconnect/business/health-and-safety; or to complete the Children on Farms e-learning module, visit https://www.lantra.co.uk/product/35531