The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) is reminding farmers to take extra care during the silage season.
Working with silage is a potentially dangerous time, particularly as high-powered machinery is being operated at speed.
There are other factors which also increase the chance of an accident occurring. These include, fatigue due to long working hours, poor weather and difficult ground conditions. However, experience has shown there are a number of safety measures around key areas that will help make silage time safer.
Children
No child under the age of 13 should ever be carried in the cab of any machine involved in making silage. Contractors must not allow children to ride in tractor cabs or the cabs of self-propelled harvesters.
Children should not be allowed to play around the farmyard or fields when silage is being made.
credit HSENI