Farm safety

Victorian primary students lauded for farm safety tips

Terry Sim, December 14, 2020

Victoria’s Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes and Member for Sunbury Josh Bull talking to Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School students today.

VICTORIAN primary school students have been recognised for their contributions to a new farm safety campaign set to be rolled out across the state.

Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes today visited Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School in Sunbury to announce the winners of KidSafe Victoria’s Farm Safety Creative Competition.

The winning entries included a video made by Holy Trinity’s prep students on how to be safe around farm animals. Students from Penshurst Primary School, Tarneit P-9 College, Willaura Primary School and Camelot Rise Primary School also won prizes for their outstanding posters and videos.

KidSafe Victoria will use the winning entries in a social media campaign in 2021 to raise awareness of farm safety among parents and carers. The competition called on students to come up with their own farm safety designs based on the theme, Reducing Harm on the Farm.

As part of the Andrews Labor Government’s Smarter Safer Farms initiative, KidSafe Victoria received $97,000 for a three-year program to help change attitudes about safety on farms from a young age and prevent deaths and injuries.

Ms Symes said the students’ outstanding videos and posters reminded us that we all have a role to play in farm safety.

“It’s never too early to teach children about farms as workplaces as well as homes.

“With summer holidays about to begin, it’s important to remember that while farms can be wonderful places for children to visit and grow up, taking safety seriously saves lives and prevents serious injuries,” she said.

Member for Sunbury Josh Bull said he was impressed by the creativity on show by the students.

“Their voice will be an important one in helping everyone to be safe around farms.”

KidSafe Victoria general manager Jason Chambers said the Reducing Harm on the Farm campaign provided children with the opportunity to take an active role in farm safety, while also helping to facilitate important discussions about farm safety among their families and wider communities.

The Monash University Accident Research Centre found that children aged younger than 15 in Victoria’s outer regional areas are four times more likely to die due to injury than children in our major cities.

Data shows that the major causes of hospital presentations and admissions for this age group are associated with transport, such as motorbikes and horses, and falls for the very young.

MUARC recommended addressing this problem through increased education and awareness of known injury hazards such as dams, farm equipment and off-road motorbike use.

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