The Citizen-Agriculture 98, 1998-03-18, Page 37Instruction for youngsters
Teaching children rules with regards to farm equipment is key to keeping them safe. Blair
Fraser of Morris Twp. talks to three of his children and a friend about the dangers of riding
and playing around tractors. From left: Bradley Fraser, Christopher Becker, Angie Fraser,
Blair Fraser and Jessie Fraser.
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Safety C
-NO riders
-Before moving equipment, partic-
ularly when backing up, make sure
children are safe
-Don't allow children to play on
idle machinery
-Leave hydraulic equipment, such
as front-end loaders, in the down
position
-When tractors and self- propelled
machines are parked, brakes
should be locked and keys
removed from the ignition
-Always leave tractor PTO in off
position
-Keep machinery in good repair,
particularly protective shields,
ROPS and seatbelts
-Safety training should be com-
pleted by children before being
allowed to operate machinery.
Supervision will be required until
teenagers gain experience
-Farm ponds and manure storage
hecklist
structures should be surrounded by
child-proof fencing
-Place fixed ladders out of reach
or fit them with a special barrier.
Portable ladders should be stored
away from danger areas
-Practice good housekeeping
-Livestock facilities and operating
machinery should be off-limits to
young children
-Shield dangerous machinery corn-
ponents, electrical boxes and
wiring. Place out of reach of chil-
dren or fit with locking devices
-Store pesticides and dangerous
chemicals in locked facilities
-Place warning decals on all grain
bins, silos, wagons and trucks
-Don't start unloading grain from
wagons or bins until you have
double checked that no one is
inside
-At regular intervals, set aside
time for farm safety instructions.
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CANADIAN AGRA
CA FARM PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC.
221 Josephine St. P.O. Box 1300
WINGHAM, Ontario NOG 2W0 Tel.: 519-357-3330
E-Mail: cafm@canadian-agra.com Fax: 519-357-2590
THE CITIZEN. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 1998. PAGE A-17.
Agriculture '98
Parents teach children at early age about farm hazards
CONTINUED FROM A-16
while parents use new equipment.
The old implement may be prone to
more operating difficulties.
Supervision is still required as
feelings of immortality may cause
teens to push equipment beyond
safety guidelines.
Child-proofing the farm
With four children under the age
of seven, farm safety is an impor-
tant issue for Blair and Deb Fraser
of Morris Twp.
Along with instructions to stay
away from equipment, Blair said
the children are taught from a
young age, that the laneways which
encircle the homes on the farm are
just like the road.
"There is a lot of traffic so they
have to stay away."
As for the adults who operate
machinery on the Fraser farm, a
careful check of the surroundings is
done before putting the equipment
in motion.
The children are also learn which
areas are for play and which are
not, said Deb.
For all parents, as children first
begin to ,take tentative steps out
into the farm work environment, a
safety inspection to correct problem
areas, should be undertaken.
Checks should be made of the
home, buildings, machinery, elec-
trical infrastructure as well as many
other potential hazards. Children
should be involved in this process
so they become accustomed to
looking for dangers.
Tidy storage of material is essen-
tial as children can trip over objects
or become tangled in rolls of
barbed wire or baler twine. New
supplies should be stored out of the
way and old material should be
taken to the dump or recycled.
Even the location of stored goods
should be considered. Piling wood
beneath an electrical box may put it
within reach of small hands or
heavy objects leaned against fences
can be knocked down.
All chemicals must be kept in
locked storage.
Life-long training
With the parents' responsibility
comes a life-time of learning for
the children as the adults teach
them good safety habits through
observation.
While instilling the rules in chil-
dren, parents must ensure they are
followed. Strictly enforcing "off-
limit" guidelines for pesticide stor-
age, entry into large animal pens,
silo, grain bins and machinery
sheds if essential.
They must also learn early to stay
away from work areas.
Youths must become accustomed
to wearing safety equipment, such
as safety shoes, hard hats, gloves
and respiratory protection while
working around the farm.
As an added precaution, parents
may ask if farm safety is taught in
the classroom or send them to train-
ing courses offered by local farm
associations.