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Children and Farm Safety
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Over the past decade, 55 children
under age 16 died in Ontario farm accidents. The deaths of these youngsters represented
just under 20 percent of all farm workplace fatalities. For every child who died, there
may have been a dozen or more kids seriously injured in farm accidents, as well as
countless "near misses". Studies show that children have a higher accident rate
than adults when statistics are adjusted for the fact that youngsters aren't exposed to
farm hazards on a full-time basis. Statistics can't begin to describe the anguish and devastation of a child's death on
their family. The numbers are useful to point out the major threats to life and limb of
children on the farm. Adult supervision imperative
Of all child deaths, 60 percent involved youngsters of age five or less! Nearly
two-thirds of the pre-schoolers died after being struck by or caught up in farm equipment.
Another 27 percent were run over after falling from tractors or farm equipment. It's not easy for young farm families to maintain constant vigilance in the supervision
of young children. The fact remains that the majority of the under-5 fatalities happened
precisely because adults had lost track of a child's whereabouts. Young children simply
have to be supervised by adults at all times. When death is the result of falling from a tractor or piece of moving farm equipment,
full responsibility lies with the adult who allowed the youngster to "come along for
the ride". It doesn't matter whether the driver gave in to the child's plea, or
simply wanted to keep track of the youngster. Just because dad let you ride when you were
a kid, doesn't make it o.k.! Allowing riders on farm equipment is definitely a negligent,
irresponsible act. Kids want to grow up fast A
majority of Ontario farm deaths in the 6-to-15 age group also involved farm machinery.
Almost 20 percent of these victims had been "extra riders". Three young
teenagers died when tractors they were operating overturned. |
Major physical and psychological changes occur during the decade between 6- and 15-years-of-age. It's often hard for parents to realize just how quickly their youngsters are growing up. The need for direct supervision decreases with age. However, basic rules -- such as staying away from areas where work is in progress -- must be strictly enforced. Most children want to take part in farm work as soon as possible. This creates the need for a new kind of adult supervision. You must determine which tasks are appropriate for a child's age. Patient training in the proper methods of performing various tasks is vital. If safety rules are broken, adults have to take as much time as is necessary for explanation and enforcement. While a young teen may be starting to look like an adult, rest assured that their physical, mental and emotional development are not complete. Simply being able to reach the clutch does not a tractor driver make! Teenagers' lack of experience and their sense of immortality increase the inherent risks of operating equipment. Adults have to be very firm with youngsters at this stage, and be certain to set the right example!
Understand each child's capabilities and limitations
The following section highlights developmental characteristics of children at various ages. Based on this information, suggestions for age-appropriate tasks are provided.
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