Farms can be exciting environments for children and visitors, but their natural curiosity and limited understanding of hazards can place them at greater risk. Adults need to actively manage risks and control access to hazardous areas to help keep young family members and visitors safe.
Understanding the risks
The mix of home, work and recreation on a farm creates a complex risk environment. While not all risks can be removed, many incidents can be prevented by limiting access to hazardous areas and closely supervising children. Major risks to children on farms include:
- falls from plant and machinery
- drowning in dams, tanks and creeks
- guns or chemicals
- tractors, motorbikes, quad bikes or other farm machinery
- contact with livestock.
To reduce the risk of injury to children and visitors on farms, ensure that:
- all visitors receive an induction to farm safety
- children have a safe, fenced‑off play area away from moving vehicles, livestock and other hazards
- children are not carried in the back of utes, tractors, trucks or trailers without appropriate seating
- children are not allowed to ride on or operate adult quad bikes.
Resources and guidance
- First steps to farm safety: Guide
This guide provides farmers with a foundation for establishing good safety practices on farms. Note the checklists in this guide are not exhaustive and cover the key points to get you started. - A parent’s guide to Kidsafe Farms, Kidsafe
This booklet helps parents and carers keep children safe on farms by addressing risks from machinery and vehicles, hazardous chemicals, animals, quad bikes and other common farm hazards. It also includes a Farm Safety Checklist to help identify hazards and reduce the risk of injury to children. - Child Safety on Farms, Farmsafe Australia
This guide offers practical guidance to help employers and workers improve child safety on Australian farms. - Children on farms
This video highlights how to keep children and visitors safe on the farm with essential safety tips on machinery and quad bikes.