HSENI launches “Be Aware Kids – Child Safety on Farms” poster competition

The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland is committed to eliminating incidents on farms that in the past have tragically resulted in children being killed.

Through our “Be Aware Kids - Child Safety on Farms” campaign we have seen a significant reduction in such incidents, however we can never be complacent and must all work together to promote this important message. 

Unfortunately this year due to the unprecedented circumstances we find ourselves in with COVID-19, our staff will not have the opportunity to visit rural primary schools in the run up to the summer holidays to deliver our farm safety messages. However, we still wish to promote our farm safety poster competition which we have been running successfully now for a number of years as we feel this is  an excellent way of getting our important safety messages out to farming families. This year we need your help and support more than ever to run our competition.

We are inviting primary school pupils (Foundation, Key Stage 1 & Key Stage 2) and pupils from special schools throughout Northern Ireland to enter our poster competition which will commence on 1^st June 2020 and run for 12 weeks. To do so each child should draw or paint a picture and the design of this picture should be based on the key dangers on the farm from one of the following four categories:

• Dangers from slurry
• Dangers from farm animals                             
• Dangers from tractors & other farm machinery
• Dangers from falls & falling objects

Each week we will invite entries from one of the above categories. The theme for each week will be announced every Monday on HSENI’s Facebook page and on our website www.hseni.gov.uk. Competition terms and conditions can be found on our website at

• Competition Terms and Conditions

Entries should be submitted portrait style on either A3 or A4 sized plain paper. To ensure entry to the competition is as simple as possible this year, we would ask that a photograph or scan of the completed picture is e-mailed to safestart@hseni.gov.uk.

A cover note on the e-mail should state the child’s name, primary school attended and contact telephone number for a parent/guardian or responsible adult.

We will select a winner each week for the 12 weeks of the competition and winners will be notified the following week.

Prizes for each of the 12 winners will be a £30 One4all gift card.

HSENI Principal Inspector Camilla Mackey said: “In previous years HSENI has produced a calendar made up of the winning entries to the competition, and the calendar has been distributed to over 42,000 rural homes throughout Northern Ireland. HSENI hopes, if possible, to produce a calendar for 2021 from the winning entries to this year’s competition.

“We look forward to receiving some wonderful artwork highlighting the very important child safety on farms messages and truly appreciate your help with the promotion of the competition.”

For more information on “child safety on farms” go our website

• Be Aware Kids Child Safety on Farms campaign
•  or you can e-mail safestart@hseni.gov.uk

Please also check out our social media pages:

Follow us on Facebook: @hseni.gov.uk

Follow us on Twitter: @HSENIgov

Follow us on Instagram: @hseni.gov.uk

Notes to editors: 

1. For media enquiries please contact: HSENI Press office on 028 9024 3249 or email media@hseni.gov.uk

2. For Out of Office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer on 028 9037 8110.

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