To help raise awareness of farm safety in 2024, a group of students in a Co Leitrim school have devised an innovative plan to give farmers a daily reminder of the need to be farm safe.

Danielle Hall, Kate Harte, Emma Flynn-Duffy and Saoirse Shanley are transition year students in Carrigallen Vocational School in Co Leitrim and they have developed a 2024 farm safety calendar as part of their enterprise project for the year.

Speaking about their calendar, Danielle, who is from a dairy farm in Co Longford, said the frightening statistics around farm deaths and accidents was the catalyst for developing the calendar as part of their school project.

Dangerous occupation

“Farming is the most dangerous occupation in the country. Unfortunately, we have seen so many lives lost and families broken up because of deaths and accidents on farms.

"Over one third of all workplace fatalities in Ireland occur in farming. Approximately 2,500 serious injuries occur every year – many are life changing,” Danielle said.

Each month has a different farm safety tip or piece of advice

“Farming is a really great job for anyone who is involved in it. Making food, caring for animals and watching your family grow are among the great things we as farmers can do. But what are farms without their farmers – they are nothing.

“With that in mind and to help get the message across to make 2024 a great year for farm safety, we have created a farm safety calendar.

"Each month has a different farm safety tip or piece of advice based on what is happening on many farms across the country in that month. For example, in February we have advice on keeping safe when calving cows and in March we have advice on spreading slurry safely,” she said.

So, when farmers are in their kitchen, milking parlours or calving sheds, they’ll be reminded every day of the importance of being safe that day, she said.

The calendar can be purchased locally or through the project’s Instagram page @DSKEFarmSafetyCalendars.