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The Huron Expositor, 1994-07-27, Page 1414 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, July 27, 1904 Agriculture • Area woman stresses child safety BY TIM CUMMING Expositor Editor Children can say `No' to adults when it comes to riding on heavy farm equipment, says a farm safety spokesperson. Tractors have one seat and aren't meant for passengers, said Diane Peckiu, secretary of the Huron County Farm and Home Safety Association. "That's how most kids get injured on farms is around equipment," said Peckitt, who farms with her hus- band north of Seaforth. After her husband's family suf- fered from farm accidents she knew she wanted to help promote farm safety. "When we. had children it was a big issue to keep our children safe." 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"The biggest message I tell the kids is you can say no to your parents when they offer a ride on the tractor." Peckitt said many parents might be offended by such a strong safety message but safety for children is a number one concern for the local woman. A document listing the details of farm fatalities in Huron tells a tragic story of how ignoring simple safety rules has led to the death of adults and children. Tractors are the emphasis of farm safety this year as they are 'the number one killer on Ontario farms.' There are other farm haz- K[cl.• SHORT -LINE SPECIALISTS i , Owe b aware wow*, to chooea tnvn 4fil siitnc, rvtH4 wax SERVICE WITH A SMILE FAX NIJMRE 1 887 638t ,igVinMcGAVIN • 887-6365 WALTON 527-0245 VENTILATION SYSTEMS INFINUCISITE 5 Main S1, Brodhagen, Ont. Canada, NOK 180 Phone (519) 345.2258 • Fax: (519) 345-2575 BILL SCOTT, P. Eng. Vice President Ptlone: (519) 527-0847 Res P.O. Box 160 Seatorth, Ontario Canada, NOK 1 WO A ards, however. Children are urged to be careful around horses and cows which may look cute but can be deadly. Children must also stay away from sheds and barns. It used to be safe to play in barns and sheds but not any more," said Peckitt. "The chemicals farmers keep in a shed...one tea- spoon could kill a child." The local farm safety organization is busy year-round attending ploughing matches and farm events to stress farm safety. The group organizes a Media Day with speakers on farm safety and also teaches safety to children. The good news, says Peckiu, is that education is helping reduce the number of farm fatalities. "Better education is helping but we've got to keep it up...we can't stop." As a fanner, the farm safety spokesperson recognizes that children are needed to work on the farm. She urges, however, that anyone working on a farm should receive proper training (including wives, husbands, children and employees). "We need to take the time to train them and teach them," she said. "We don't put a kid in a car and tell them to drive into town without taking driver's education so why do we put them on a tractor and say do a field?" You can educate those who work on your farm (including employees) with the help of the Farm Safety Association. For information you can call 1-800-361-8855. Peckiu stresses that "someone has to take the time to teach them." TRACTOR SAFETY General Precautions Few walk away from tractor acci4 • nts ... • Read the operator's manual • Thoroughly train new operators • Always do a pre -operational check • Clear area before moving out • Avoid extra riders • Use rollover protective structures and seatbelts • Keep all shields in place • Remove key when not in use Farm Safety Week July 25 to July 31 Tractor number one killer on farms Tractors still rank as the number one killers on Ontario farms. Fifty per cent of all work-related deaths on Ontario farms are linked directly to tractor use, most being rollovers to the side or rear. The theme for Farm Safety Week is `Tractor Safety'. The Farm Safety Association, with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Agri- culture, Food and Rural Affairs, is taking this message to all Ontario farms through a number of pro- grams. The Ontario Ministry of Agricul- ture, Food and Rural Affairs pro- vided funding for the development of new tractor safety video as well as print materials and display graphics which will be used throughout the Province. Funding was also provided for a special issue of the Farmsafe newsletter distributed last March through the Farm and Country newspaper to 60,000 farms. Through this pro- gram, rural rescue personnel also received special rescue training at two locations in the Province on how to deal with farm accidents. The Farm Safety Association applauds the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for its support to help get the safety inesSage out to all farms. Tractor safety theme for week 'Tractor safety' is this year's theme for the Farm Safety Week campaign in Ontario, July 25-31. Tractor safety is not only a con- cern of those in the rural commun- ity. Tractors come in all shapes and sizes and are to be found as much in the urban setting as the rural areas we are familiar with. Tractors, regardless of size, can and do cause injury and death if not treated with the respect any other piece of equipment would be treated with. Tractor accidents are everyone's concern, not only during Farm Safety Week, but year-round. TRACTOR SAFETY Avoiding Rollovers •Never hitch loads higher than drawbar. . •Avoid backing uphill or downhill. •Start slowly, change speed gradually. •Back out if possible when mired in mid. •Avoid crossing steep slopes. •Lock brake pedals, before high speed slopes. •Keep loader buckets low during transport. 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SEAFORTH ONT. , 527-247052 NsAFIs OUR #1 POLICY* 60 50 40 30 20 10 Number of Fatalities (1979 - 1993) Fifteen Year Summary of Ontario Farm Fatalities ❑Farm Fatalities II1Tractor Fatalities 1 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1988 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 Total Farm Fatalities Farm Tractor Fatalities in Ontario 1979 - 1993 (Fifteen Year Summary) 254 Tractor Fatalities 01 (sex) Other Hnprray Coniston Power Takeoff Shan Gulled Batw can Tractor and Object Operator Fall paeseng., Falling then Run Over FiY stands Run Over Rent Rollover S,1• 17ni'nvr, MILTON J. 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