NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota
State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
May 14, 1998
Farm equipment and livestock are extremely interesting to children, but they can also be deadly.
"Allowing kids to roam freely on the farm exposes them to unnecessary risks and countless hazards," notes George Maher, an agricultural safety specialist with the North Dakota State University Extension Service. "Children should not be allowed to play in hazardous areas."
Maher notes that up to a third of the injuries suffered by children are from falls. Open wounds are the most common form of injury.
"Children allowed to play on and around dangerous farm machinery are exposed to vast opportunities for those kinds of injuries," Maher says. And with the natural attraction of children to animals, cattle, horses and smaller livestock like sheep also present dangers.
"It isn't easy to keep kids safe on the farm," Maher admits. "But the statistics show that it's necessary."
In 1995, 11 percent of the farming-related fatalities were children under 11 years old. When teenagers were included, the statistic jumped to 14 percent of the farming-related fatalities.
According to Jack Burke of the National Safety Council, "Farming is the only industry where children under 16 years of age are fatally injured in occupational accidents. Don't let or expect your child to do the work of an adult."
"Children should not be allowed to ride along on farm machinery," Maher says. "No one, especially children, should have to hang on for dear life through a morning or afternoon in the fields. Farm machinery has one seat, and it is for the driver only. If the child should fall from the tractor, it is very unlikely that the machinery will be stopped in time to prevent a disaster. The tractor is no place to babysit."
Maher notes that it's possible to manage farmsteads to reduce or eliminate this unnecessary risk. He suggests some ideas that may work on your farm.
* Tour the farm and show the children where they are not allowed to play. Be sure to give reasons why and point out the dangers.
* Fence off a safe play area and confine the youngsters to it. Connect this area to the house.
* Place an older child in charge of the youngsters when the adults can't be around. Make sure the older child has the maturity to handle the job.
* Work with neighboring farm families who may be able to share some of the supervision responsibilities—a cooperative rural child care program.
* Enlist grandparents or in-laws to help supervise youngsters.
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Source: George Maher (701) 231-8288
Editor: Tom Jirik (701) 231-9629