Translink recently visited CAFRE, Greenmount Campus, Antrim to raise level crossing safety awareness to this year’s Agri-Students as part of an educational partnership that has been running since 2012.
During the awareness safety training for almost 100 agri-students, participants were shown a mixture of facts and figures, images and footage of near misses at level crossings in Northern Ireland and abroad and given advice and information on how to stay safe when using them.
Translink’s Level Crossing Risk Manager, Keith Pollock said: “Safety is always our first priority and this awareness event gives Translink an opportunity to speak to some of the farming community of the future.”
He explained: “Some students may come from areas without railway level crossings and it’s important to share this knowledge with them.
Also, many of the students will learn to drive cars in the coming months and this event will help raise their awareness of how level crossings operate and the risks associated with them.
“Private occupation/accommodation level crossings are dotted along the entire NI Railways network and some of the students may spend their year out working on a farm with a private crossing so this awareness event will help give them the knowledge they need to use them safely.”
Joe Mulholland, Senior Lecturer Agriculture at CAFRE, commented: ‘We were delighted to have Keith Pollock from Translink on campus during Agriculture Student Induction week – the very beginning of their agriculture careers – to highlight the importance and awareness of the risks of using railway crossings on public roads or farm crossings.
“Educating the next generation of farmers will have a meaningful impact on reducing injuries and fatalities.”
As part of CAFRE’s one-year Level 2 Technical Certificate in Agriculture programme and its three-year Level 3 Advanced Technical Extended Diploma in Agriculture students must complete and pass the Principles of Health and Safety unit.
Through this unit, learners will be able to understand 1) health and safety legislation, 2) the risk assessment process, 3) first aid requirements, 4) principles of safe manual handling and 5) the use of fire extinguishers.
Anyone interested in level crossing safety training can contact Translink’s Level Crossing Safety Team on [email protected] or call 02890 666630.
