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Children and Farm Safety
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Plan Your Own Child Safety Strategy
As the statistics so clearly illustrate, the major causes of farm
accidents involving children are lack of supervision and inadequate training. Obviously,
we could all benefit by heightening our safety awareness. Safety is something that must
become a habit. Take stock of safety status
Start by conducting an in-depth safety inspection of the farming operation. By identifying and correcting hazards, you'll be taking a major step toward protecting children (and everyone else)! Such an inspection should cover every facet of the operation. The Farm Safety Association has developed a very detailed safety audit form that is ideal for this purpose. Hazards are identified by the farmer during an inspection tour, and target dates can be established for taking corrective action. The audit checklist covers the home, buildings, machinery, fire prevention, electrical safety, and numerous other potential hazard areas. You can boost safety awareness by involving school age children in the inspection. (Who knows -- they may spot hazards that we overlook!) When taking stock of your farm's safety status, think about "close calls" that could have resulted in serious injury or death. Try to determine the factors responsible for the near-accident, and take steps to minimize the chance of it happening again. It may be a worthwhile exercise to discuss the incident with children who are old enough to comprehend. Good housekeeping is very important to maintaining a safe farmstead. Many children have been injured by tripping over objects that were left lying on the ground. Other youngsters have been hurt when they became entangled in old fence wire or baler twine. Anything that is needed should be neatly stored; everything else should go to the dump or recycling centre. When storing items, be careful not to create new hazards. For example, a couple of straw bales below a fuse box can put the danger of electrocution within a child's reach. Also, heavy objects should never be left leaning against walls or fences. Children may try to climb these items, and could fall or even pull an object over top of themselves. Dangerous materials require special consideration. Pesticides and other toxic chemicals should be kept in locked storage, in their original containers -- that's the law in Ontario. Empty containers should be rinsed out and kept in the locked storage until disposal. Secure storage for treated seed and fertilizer is also important. Warn children of the dangers posed by these materials, in the strongest possible terms! Supervision still number one
Small children must be supervised at all times. It's simply not enough to tell them to
"stay away" from the work area. Toddlers want to be with their parents, and tend
to forget what they were told when they see daddy driving up on the tractor. Child care poses a difficult problem for many young farm families. One or both parents
may hold off -farm jobs. There will be times when both mom and dad have to pitch in to
make sure that field work is completed on time. Try to anticipate when you will need a baby-sitter or daylong child care. Are there
relatives or neighbours who could look after the youngsters during busy periods? Child
care resources are being developed in some rural municipalities. Under some circumstances, you may simply have to isolate preschoolers in a
"safe" area. A fenced area near the house is a good idea. One dairy farmer even
constructed a play room in the barn. Glass doors make it possible to keep an eye on the
youngsters while doing the chores. Even when children are confident in a safe room or yard, adult supervision is needed.
Kids may find a way to get out, and can still get hurt while they are just playing. Training needs grow
Direct supervision becomes less important with older children and teens. However,
parental direction remains crucial. You've got to be firm about he rules. Certain areas --
e.g. pesticide storage, large animal pens, silos and grain bins, farm machinery shed, etc.
-- should be off-limits. |
Training needs grow(continued)
No one other than workers should be allowed in areas where work is being carried out.
By learning this policy early, children will develop a good habit that should last a
lifetime. Training young children to carry out simple tasks requires patience and perseverance.
You'll need to demonstrate the correct procedure and will likely have to repeat
instructions every time the child takes on the task. Safety experts recommend waiting until a child is at least 10 to 12 years old before
allowing them to do any significant farm work. Start them slowly, and be prepared to spend
plenty of time on training and enforcement of safety rules. The machinery operation "learning curve" could start with a small lawn
tractor. Train youngsters in controlled situations where their actions can be closely
observed. Watch to see how often or how easily they're distracted. Some children can begin operating farm machinery by age 13, but only under supervision.
If possible, tractors operated by youngsters should be ROPS-equipped. Let the child get
the "feel" of the tractor while doing minor jobs around the farmstead. You can
provide driving and safety lessons, but it would be even better to enroll the youngster in
a training program offered by 4-H or other organizations. Before a young trainee heads to the field, test them verbally to see how they would
handle various crisis situations. Choose large, open fields and flat terrain for the
child's first experience with tillage or other field work. Keep a close eye on their
performance to see how they get along. Be prepared to stop the child to offer suggestions
and explain precautions. However, don't "hover" and put too much pressure on the
kid! "Walk your talk!" One
of the most important things you can do is set a good example. All the training in the
world will be of limited value if you don't practise safety in your day-to-day activities. Dress kids for safety
Appropriate protective gear is essential for safety in the farm workplace. It is
equally important to childrens' well-being, whether they are teens helping with farm work,
or toddlers playing in the yard. Everyone should cover up for protection against sunburn. The earlier in life that
ultraviolet damage to skin occurs, the greater the potential for cancer development later. When children start riding bikes, ATV's, etc., make it a rule that they always wear
helmets. Older children working on the farm should wear protective gear to suit the job -- e.g.
safety shoes, hard hats, gloves, respiratory protection, etc. Help Is available
Check with your childrens' teachers to find out if farm safety courses are being
covered in the curriculum. If not, take your concerns to the principal and/or the school
board. Send your kids to safety information days and farm safety daycamps when these are held
in your area. 4-H farm safety clubs operate in many counties -- check with your local OMAF
office or county farm safety association. The Ontario Farm Safety Association maintains a comprehensive library of literature and
videos. Check with the Guelph office to obtain a list of available material, or to borrow
specific items. Family viewing of safety videos is an excellentway to heighten safety
awareness. Child safety is in your hands
Remember that children sometimes are careless, and may forget. They may try to do too
much, and sometimes deliberately disobey. In the end, child safety is the responsibility
of adults. No matter how carefully they are taught, children lack the experience and
knowledge to make all the right choices on their own. |
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