1 GENERAL.
1.1 Farms may be either, or a mixture of, arable, dairy, beef cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, horses, deer, ostriches, alpacas, ferrets, pheasants, partridges, poultry, waterfowl, and other birds; market gardens; fruit farms; packhouses for fruit and all types of vegetables; fish farms; estates; forests; woodlands; moors; villages; churches; and open water such as lakes, dams, reservoirs, rivers, canals, streams and the sea etc. In addition, in redundant farm buildings there may be diversification enterprises such as light engineering, craft workshops, general storage, office units etc.
1.2 Visits to farms should be educationally informative and enjoyable. It is important that children understand the ways of the countryside and where our food comes from.
1.3
Farms can be dangerous places to the unfamiliar. Children should not be exposed to any activity that is likely to be dangerous. At the outset, it must be explained to children/pupils that they must comply immediately with any instructions given by members of school or farm staff. School staff must ensure that any such instructions are carried out. Farms are noisy
– a whistle can be very useful to attract attention, but should be used with care close to animals, or farm staff using machinery. A length of cord held by leaders, can be a useful temporary safety barrier.
1.4 All adults involved in a farm visit have a duty of care towards the children and must take such precautions as are reasonable and practical. Schools must understand that the responsibility for the discipline and welfare of the children throughout the visit remains with the teacher in charge, assisted by those other adults accompanying the visit - all of whom must remain with the group.
1.5 Farm staff should prevent children and adults from getting into potentially hazardous situations. Members of staff and/or volunteers should be aware of possible risks and should warn all visitors of such dangers and indicate how these dangers can be avoided.
POTENTIAL HAZARDS
2 Farm Machinery.
2.1 All farm vehicles and machines must conform to Health and Safety regulations - dangers must be pointed out and precautions must be taken to avoid any such dangers. Similarly, in farm workshops, wheels and other bits of large machines being repaired may be lying about or propped up against a wall or vehicle, all of which present a danger. Children must not touch anything in a farm workshop unless told to do so as it may be be dirty, sharp, hot, heavy and cause injury or break if dropped.
2.2 On farms, there are particular things to beware of - circular saws, chain saws, tractors, particularly power take off and power take off shafts, pesticides and excessive noise. Sticks and stones can be thrown long distances by rotary cultivators, mowers, hedge trimmers, etc. when they are working.

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2.3 Visitors must not operate or interfere with machinery or electrical equipment.
2.4 Children must be kept away from any agriculural machinery which is moving and must not be allowed to travel as a passenger on any item of farm equipment, such as a tractor or combine harvester. The only exceptions to this are that children and adult visitors may ride on a farm trailer or a lorry that has been properly converted for this purpose and is fitted with permanent seats, guard rails on either side and at each end and has an entrance/exit gate and steps with a hand rail. Under no circumstances may children be allowed to climb onto any stationary machinery, except with the owners permission and with close adult supervision. In this case the engine must be switched off and the ignition key removed.
3 Farm Chemicals and Crop Spraying.
3.1 All substances hazardous to health, such as farm chemicals, pesticides, herbicides and veterinary medicines, must be controlled and kept under lock and key. However, when visitors are watching crop spraying, they must be kept well away from both spraying machinery and crop spraying, including the wind-borne drift of sprays. Visitors should not enter crops that have just been sprayed.
4 Farm Animals.
4.1
Visitors should be wary of bulls, cows with newly born calves, rams, boars, billy goats, nanny goats, kids, horses, cockerels, ganders and geese.
However, all domestic farm animals can be dangerous if they have been frightened. It is therefore important that children do not shout or otherwise make a noise when close to any animals, nor should they run up to animals.
Visitors should be aware that farm animals can make sudden movement, which could frighten young children who are too close.
4.2
Children and adult visitors must stand well clear of the hind legs and rear of horses and ponies (which may kick out).
Children and visitors must stand clear of the heads of horses and ponies because they may bite. Children may stroke the muzzles of horses and ponies and hand feed them only when they have been shown how to do so properly and only to those horses and ponies so indicated by the host. Other animals may only be handled with the host's permission and only when the children have been shown how to do so.
Children must not be allowed to rub their faces against any animal.
4.3
Children and other adult visitors must not be allowed to ride, or even sit on, horses or ponies, even if they claim to have ridden before.
4.4 No pregnant person, whether a teacher, a school helper, a parent or any other pregnant person, or anyone who thinks that she might be pregnant, should accompany a visit to see ewes and lambs at lambing time. This is because of the risk to pregnant humans from enzootic abortion, which might be present in the sheep flock.
5 Dogs.
5.1 Farm dogs, particularly sheep dogs, are working dogs. They are not pets and should not be patted by any visitor, and certainly not without the express permission of the owner. Dogs may snap or bite if startled. The owners of all dogs on the farm must control them at all times. Likewise, other non-working dogs may be friendly to their owners or staff, but their safety in regard to visitors is not always known.

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5.2 Many urban children are unfamiliar with dogs and some are terrified of them.
As a general rule, it is better if dogs are shown to children for a short while but do not accompany their master or mistress throughout the day for two reasons: a. either the children are terrified of them most of the day and keep pulling back from them or even keep running away; or b. alternatively, other children who are not afraid of dogs may well over pat them and confuse the dog or dogs to such an extent that the dogs become bewildered, or even eventually snap at the attentions of so many children for such a long time.
5.3
The constant calling by 25 or 30 children of a dog's name (which is what many children ask the host) can become a nightmare to the dog, especially if kept up on all sides for more than a few minutes. A host's genuine affection for a dog must not lull him or her into hoping or thinking that the dog will befriend a large number of totally unfamiliar visitors for any length of time.
5.4
On no account should any visitors bring dogs or any other pets on farm visits.
6 Rural Roads.
6.1 Crossing rural roads can be as dangerous, if not more so, than crossing a road in town. There may be no speed limit, there probably won't be a pedestrian crossing nearby, visibility may be limited and drivers in rural locations will certainly not be expecting to find a group of children crossing a rural road. At least two adults must be posted, one each side of the children, on a road about to be crossed. The group must be lined up on the side of the road and must not move across it until the person in charge is satisfied that the lookouts, both left and right, are in position and that the road is clear before the order to cross is given. The lookouts must stay looking towards oncoming traffic until every child and adult has crossed the road.
6.2 Leaders facing the traffic might well hold up previously prepared boards reading "Beware, children crossing". Reflective bibs can be very useful for the supervising staff.
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6.3 The rule "Walk facing on-coming traffic", is not always appropriate on country lanes with no pavement. It is safer to be on the outside of a bend in single file when visibility is limited.
Forestry.
7.1 Children must not be allowed to climb trees.
7.2 Tree felling has its own hazards. Very strict control of the visitors at all times so that they are well clear of chainsaws and of where a tree may, or will, fall is essential. Children may get very excited at the thought of a tree being felled and it is essential that enough adults have full control so that no children can rush forward to get a better look. This also applies to any trimming operations after a tree has been felled. Children must on no account be allowed near any chainsaws and must be kept right back until cutting has finished and the chainsaw has been switched off.
7.3
The extraction of timber from woodland by various types of machines or horses, as well as mobile saw benches and mobile peeling machines is sometimes shown. Children must not be allowed too near these operations.
8 Water
8.1
All open water which includes lakes, dams, reservoirs, rivers, canals, streams and the sea, carry risks.

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8.2
Visits which involve water are Category C visits and require the permission of the LEA through the County Outdoor Education Advisor.
8.3
Always follow the advice given in, " Safety at the Water Margins".
8.4
Children must not be allowed to go close to the water's edge. Close supervision is most important along river and canal banks, and particularly at canal locks.
8.5
Children must not get on any boat, unless so doing forms part of a specifically pre-arranged visit.
8.6 Drinking from any open water source, such as animal drinking troughs, ponds, streams etc., must be strictly forbidden. Hands should be washed as soon as possible after putting them in static water and especially after taking part in pond dipping.
9. Fences and Cattle Grids
9.1 Electric fences and barbed wire are a particular hazard and all visitors should be warned of their dangers. Electrified fences are not always obvious - look for the insulators on the fence posts.
9.2 Cattle grids are obviously dangerous for children and wherever possible the gate to the side must be used. Where a cattle grid has to be crossed, it must be done under adult supervision.
10 Firearms
10.1
Shotguns and other sporting rifles form a part of rural life, but they should not be demonstrated to children on school visits.
11 Falcons and Birds of Prey.
11.1
Falcons and other birds of prey, including owls, are often shown on visits.
People demonstrating these birds should be trained and experienced in the handling of birds of prey and children and adult visitors must abide strictly to all safety instructions which a falconer or other bird handler may issue.
12 Miscellaneous.
12.1 Snakes. Seeing a snake is a rare occurance in Britain. The adder is the only poisonous snake in this country - any person who is bitten by a snake should immediately be taken to the A & E department of the nearest hospital or doctors surgery.
12.2 Ammonia and other gasses. Ammonia in deep litter poultry houses may be hazardous to health. If the smell is too strong, these poultry houses should be avoided.
12.3 Slurry tanks and slurry lagoons can give off dangerous gases and visitors should not approach either.
12.4 Dust, particularly from harvesting, milling and handling of grain, dust in grain stores and sawdust, can cause choking and is harmful to the lungs if inhaled.
All forms of dust should be avoided wherever possible. The teacher in charge needs to know if any child suffers from asthma and must ensure that that child carries an inhaler throughout the visit.

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12.5 Stinging nettles. There might be children who have not encountered stinging nettles. Children should be warned of the danger of these plants and shown how to recognise them.
12.6 Loose gates, pallets etc. Loose gates, sheep hurdles, old pallets, wheels etc, are often left leaning against a wall when not in use - be aware of the potential danger.
13 Diseases and Hygiene.
13.1
There are many diseases which can be caught from close contact with animals, soil and manure. This applies around the home, in gardens, in parks, zoos etc.
If basic hygiene is ignored, then farm visits can present similar dangers. Some of these are:
Salmonella
Weil’s Disease
Leptospirosis a general term for various diseases; Weil’s Disease is one of them carried by rats and cattle.
Lyme Disease, caused by a tick which occurs in deer, foxes and sometimes in sheep.
Toxocariasis (a disease acquired by swallowing the ova of a round worm which lives in the intestines of cats (toxocara cati) and dogs (toxocara canis).
Newcastle disease from birds
Ovine enzootic abortion from sheep, especially with a risk of abortion in pregnant women
Streptococcis Suis
Tetanus spores and the infection of wounds or cuts by bacteria
Taeniasis (tapeworms)
Psittacosis
Cat-scratch Fever
Escherichia Coli
E.Coli 157 Carried mainly by horses, though found in other animals.
Brucellosis
Tuberculosis
13.2 Risks from all of these can be reduced to almost nothing by good hygiene.
Children and adults should wash their hands as soon as possible after handling animals or after putting hands in static water such as animal drinking troughs, ponds, streams and always before touching food, sweets or drinking straws. Anti-bacterial hand wipes can be used in an emergency and when it is not possible to wash hands immediately after handling animals. Dirty wellies and other footwear should be cleaned before the journey home.
13.3
Leaders should be aware of the possibility of an allergic reaction to fur, feathers, grass, hay, airborne dust etc. Children with known allergies must bring the prescribed treatment and it's dose should be understood by acompanying staff.
13.4
Children should not pick flowers, plants, berries, fruit, vegetables or any crops without the owner's express permission as they may have been recently sprayed with pesticides or herbicides.
14 Remember the COUNTRY CODE.