The Citizen, 1990-06-13, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 1990.
Guide your children around farm hazards
Children love adventure and
what better place to explore and
play than on a farm. However, the
very nature of farming activities is
what makes them so dangerous to
children.
On one hand, a farm is an
industrial workplace, filled with a
bewildering variety of dangers; on
the other hand, it is also a home, or
a special place to visit. Children
cannot simply be kept completely
away from the workplace, as is the
case in other industries. Instead,
farm families must identify the
many hazards and find ways of
dealing with them to ensure acci
dents don’t happen to the children
on their farms.
Hazards encountered on a farm .
are extremely varied. They range
from electric shock, to poisoning, to
bad-tempered livestock. The ha
zards also change. For example, a
stubble field may be a good, safe
place for a walk but a few days
earlier, during harvesting, the
same field would have been filled
with danger.
MACHINERY
Most children killed or injured on
farms are victims of machinery
accidents.
Many of these tragedies occur
when an operator starts a machine
without knowing a child is in the
area. In other cases, the neglect is
more obvious - for example, when a
child falls from an implement or off
a tractor fender.
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Most farm chemicals are quite
dangerous. If children (especially
small children) get their hands on
such materials, results can be
tragic. The same is true with more
commonplace items, such as gaso
line and matches.
BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES
Buildings can be designed to be
safe and should be fixed if they are
unsafe. However, sloppiness can
defeat the safest design. For
example, a farm child died when he
tried climbing a tractor wheel that
was leaning against a wall, and the
wheel fell on him. Another young
ster died when some old baler
twine hanging from a beam caught
around his neck. Open or abandon
ed wells, cesspools and pits all pose
great hazards to children.
LIVESTOCK
Even good-tempered animals
can become dangerous. For ex
ample, a toddler could be knocked
down and trampled by cattle that
would hardly notice the child’s
presence. Even the quietest ani
mals can become dangerous if they'
feel threatened, particularly if they
have their young with them.
SAFE EQUIPMENT
Anything that is hazardous to
you is also a danger to children.
Examples include a barn floor or a
protective shield left off a machine.
Simply making a farm safe for
adults is not enough. Children are
extremely curious but lack adult
judgment. They also may be small
enough to get past protective
barriers and shields that would
stop most grown-ups.
KNOW WHERE CHILDREN ARE
This is difficult on a modern
farm, since both parents are often
working. However, young children
must be supervised. Some form of
adult supervision is essential.
PRACTISE SAFETY
Have you ever set down a
container of pesticide for “just a
second,” and forgotten it for
several hours? The best planning
and intentions only pay off if safety
is practised every day.
SET A GOOD EXAMPLE
When children start to help out
on the farm, they will follow your
example. If you work safely, so will
they.
EDUCATE
, Even small children can learn the
rudiments of safety, such as which
areas of the farm are “off limits.”
As they get older, children can
learn why certain things are dan
gerous. School programs and safe
ty publications designed specifi
cally for children enhance the
learning process.
When it comes to hiring the Deaf,
seeing is believing.
271 Spadina Road, Toronto, Ontario M5R2V3
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THE CANADIAN HEARING
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