A range of educational tools has been created to help teach children about farm safety.
The materials, which aim to help farming families teach their children about the key dangers on farms, have been created by SAC Consulting and digital imagery company Exhibit Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government’s Farm Advisory Service (Fas).
They include a range of interactive videos and colouring sheets, as well as advice for farmers and crofters on how to improve health and safety on farms, including using barriers and fencing to prevent children accessing dangerous areas or getting close to livestock and machinery.
“Farming is a valuable but also relatively dangerous occupation and the juxtaposition of people – often including children – and machinery, livestock and environmental hazards, means that farming can be at the same time one of the best and worst places for family life,” said SAC Consulting agricultural consultant Janette Sutherland.
“We hope these interactive quizzes, with a host of cartoon friends including a cow, sheep, pig, crow and a collie, can help spark conversations between parents and children about staying safe on farms and crofts.”
She said one of the videos aims to help children identify animal emotions and understand the dangers relating to livestock, while others ask children to spot hazards in a farmyard and in a shed.
The materials are online here.
