BellTIME
Health and Safety Authority launches
national farm safety multimedia
competition for post-primary students
Deaths on farms continue to dominate workplace
fatality figures year on year, with an average of one
third of all fatalities due to accidents on the farm.
Awareness-raising and changing behaviour amongst
those currently farming, as well as the next generation
of farmers is essential, according to the Health and
Safety Authority (HSA). To this end, the HSA has
launched a farm safety multimedia competition, aimed
at post-primary students, that encourages young
people to get involved in the on-going campaign to
communicate the farm safety message to their families,
and wider community.
Post primary students (teams or individuals) are invited
to design a multimedia entry, such as: a video, app.,
social media campaign, website, animation, video or
interactive game on farm safety and submit it for
judging via the Authority’s competition website
www.choosefarmsafety.ie. The HSA wrote to all
schools inviting their participation.
Entry forms and full details can be downloaded from
www.choosefarmsafety.ie and the deadline for entries
is 11th December. Short-listed entrants will be invited to
participate in a Youth Task Force event on farm safety,
which will inform the Authority’s on-going national farm
safety campaign. Short-listed entrants will also exhibit
their entries at a national competition showcase and
awards ceremony in Dublin Castle on 27th April 2016.
Prizes include professional Go-Pro camera for the
winners and other multi-media devices for finalists as
well as trophies for winners in each category.
Martin O’Halloran, Chief Executive of the Health and
Safety Authority, said:
“The aim of this project is to raise awareness among
post-primary students of farm safety and to give them a
voice in providing solutions to effect change in safety
behaviour among farming families and the wider
farming community. We are strongly encouraging
schools to get behind this competition.”
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Prizes of professional
Go-Pro cameras
for the winners
Joanne Harmon, Education Manager with the HSA
said:
“Young people have a role to play in raising their own
and others’ awareness around farm safety and many
use multimedia in their daily lives, whether it’s gaming,
social media or app’s on mobile devices. This is an
opportunity to use their knowledge and skills to
become part of the national campaign to change safety
behaviour on farms.”
Paul Fields, Director of Kilkenny Education Centre said:
“We are delighted to promote a competition in schools
like this which recognises the civic role and influence
young people have in safe-guarding themselves, their
families and in many cases, t heir future. Schools can
run this competition with students across a number of
curriculum areas such as SPHE, Design and
Communications, CSPE and IT.”
This project is supported by the network of full-time
Education Centres and Kids Own Publishing
Partnership.
For further information and entry forms,
check out
www.choosefarmsafety.ie
or email
[email protected]
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