Farm safety calendar competition opens for Queensland school kids

Queensland primary school students are invited again this year to enter the annual Farm Safety Calendar competition.Run by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, the competition encourages young Queenslanders from across the state to submit drawings with farm safety themes for inclusion in the 2021 calendar.

Drawing is a great distraction for students during these trying times and whether at school or home, the competition is open to all. Safety themes include electrical safety, safety around animals, machinery including quad bikes, fire, chemicals, water storage and waterways, health and wellbeing and safe play areas.

The 12 winning children (one for each month) receive a $250 gift voucher and $500 for their school. Entries close on Friday 26 June, with winners announced in September. Thirty thousand free hard copies of the 2021 calendar will be distributed to Queenslanders from October.

The agriculture industry employs around three per cent of Queensland's workers yet sadly accounts for more than 30 per cent of workplace deaths. Farm vehicles, sometimes involving children, are prominent in these statistics.

Each year, the published calendar is an opportunity for safety messages to be prominently displayed in homes and workplaces,with each of the 12 months reminding Queenslanders of all ages to work and play safely on farm properties.

There were more than 1700 entries in last year's competition, helping raise awareness among primary school children and their communities of common hazards on farms and other rural properties.

How to enter

Students are encouraged to draw and colour a picture to illustrate one of the following farm safety messages:

Electrical

Don't use damaged power cords—turn off the power and tell someone about it straight away.
Safety switches save lives—make sure they're fitted and tested.
Look up and live—look out for powerlines when using machinery.

Animals

Animals can be unpredictable. Respect their size and strength and learn how to work with them safely.
Always wash your hands after working with livestock or playing with animals as they carry diseases that can transfer to people.

Tractors and machinery

Look out for machinery and vehicles because the driver may not see you.
Quad bikes are a great tool, but they are not a toy. Ride ready—wear a helmet, never double, kids only use a kid sized bike, get training, and ride on well-known tracks.

Water storage and fenced yard

Dams, creeks and channels can be dangerous places to swim. Make sure you have an adult with you to stay safe.
A fenced yard for young kids and toddlers to play in will keep them away from many farm dangers.

Fire

Sugar cane and trash fires move quickly—keep well away.
Keep an emergency plan for bushfires and house fires and practice it regularly. Call 000 if there is a fire at your home or farm.

Chemicals

Chemicals can be dangerous. Children need to keep away from them.
Chemicals should only be used by adults who have been trained in how to use them properly.

Health and wellbeing

Who in your house knows how to do CPR? This method of chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth breathing can save lives!
Be sun safe! Work in the shade in the middle of the day and remember to drink water and have rest breaks—heat stress can make you really sick.

Entries should be submitted on white paper, using the competition template (PDF, 0.08 MB) from worksafe.qld.gov.au where you can find more information. All fields on the template need to be completed in legible handwriting, including the student's first and last names, year level, school, theme and a consent signature from the entrant's teacher or parent.

Further information

For more information on Farm safety calendar competition, visit worksafe.qld.gov.au