“Keep Safe” Roadshow comes to Ballina school children

Friday 4^th December

One hundred children from four national schools in Ballina have today (Friday 4^th December) attended a ”Keep Safe” event in Ballina Community Sports Centre. Eleven State agencies and organisations in the county have come together to deliver the programme which is aimed at 5^th and 6^th class pupils. It aims to promote safety and community awareness through involving the children in a series of interactive scenarios, with a strong safety theme.

The event was hosted by the Health and Safety Authority and facilitated by Junior Achievement Ireland. The children from the following national schools attended the event – Scoil Phadraig NS, Ballina; Behymore NS, Ballina; Scoil Chroí ĺosa, Ballina; St. Joseph's NS, Rehins, Ballina and 17 Transition Year (TY) students from St Mary’s Secondary School also assisted on the day.

Minister for Labour Affairs, Mr. Dara Calleary, who addressed the event said, “This initiative is aimed at raising awareness and preventing accidents from happening. This kind of multi-agency approach where resources and knowledge are used together and for the benefit of the community is to be welcomed and encouraged.”

The aims of the one day “Keep Safe” event are to help children to:

• • become aware of personal and home safety

• learn how to react to dangerous situations

• foster good citizenship

• learn how to recognise hazards and manage risks

• learn how to stay safe within the context of, for example, road safety, water safety, fire safety, site safety and farm safety

Chairman of the Health and Safety Authority, Mr. Jim Lyons said, “Our experience in accident prevention has led us to firmly believe that targeting the ‘workers of the future’ will help to build a culture where people can live and work in a safe environment.”

Mr Martin O’Halloran, Chief Executive of the Authority added, “The “Keep Safe” initiative is tailored especially for school children and designed to be an enjoyable and interactive way for them to learn about issues like water safety, electricity, road safety, farm safety and more.”

The agencies and organisations that were represented on the day included: Health and Safety Authority (HSA), Junior Achievement Ireland, Bus Éireann, Civil Defence, Construction Industry Federation, Mayo County Council (Fire Services), ESB Networks, Garda Síochána, Mayo County Council (Road Safety Section), Mayo Mountain Rescue and the Irish Coast Guard.

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