The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) and the Farm Safety Partnership (FSP) are calling on primary school pupils to become young safety ambassadors by participating in their annual farm safety poster competition. The initiative aims to utilise children's creativity to raise awareness about agricultural hazards and the practical steps required to prevent serious accidents.

Farming continues to be one of the most dangerous sectors in the region. Statistical data reveals that over the last 10 years, more than 50 people have lost their lives in farming accidents. Since 2000, 12 children have tragically died in work-related agricultural incidents. Furthermore, there have been 28 farm-related fatalities in Northern Ireland over the last five years, with an additional four deaths recorded in the current year alone.

The competition is open until 31 July 2026 and invites children to draw and colour a picture illustrating a vital farm safety message. Submissions should primarily focus on the four main agricultural hazards outlined in the SAFE acronym: Slurry, Animals, Falls, and Equipment. However, the organisers also welcome innovative entries illustrating any other farm-related dangers identified by the children.

The 12 winning entries will be announced in September, with each winner receiving a £50 voucher. The selected artwork will be integrated into future HSENI publicity materials to reinforce safety messages among farming families. Gemma Mooney, HSENI Principal Agri-Food Inspector said: "Farms are wonderful places to work on, live in, visit and learn from, but they also have many hazards. From quad bikes to tractors, livestock to slurry tanks there is always the risk of an accident.

"This poster competition is a great way to get children thinking about how to keep themselves and their farm families safe. Sadly, behind the fun of this initiative there are sobering statistics that show farming remains one of our most dangerous industries.

"There have been 28 deaths in the last five years in Northern Ireland and another four this year alone. Tragically, children have been involved in serious and even fatal accidents on our farms," she added.

Stephanie Berkeley, Manager of The Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies), the charity sponsoring the competition, said: "As members of the Farm Safety Partnership, we are delighted to sponsor this year's competition. The creativity and imagination of the entries every year is truly inspiring but beneath the colourful drawings lies something far more powerful – an introduction to key safety messages for children in a way that feels natural, not instructional. It invites children to think, to question and ultimately to carry those messages back into their own homes."

Competition terms and conditions, along with further information on Key Stage 1 & 2 resources including downloadable child farm safety colouring sheets, can be found at 

Farm Safety Poster Competition Terms and Conditions 2026/27 | Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland, controlling risk together