Teaching Farm Safety to Children

Farming is considered by the National Safety Council as one of America's most hazardous occupations. Each year family farm members are injured or die due to farm-related incidents.

According to a study by Dr. Fredrick Rivara, completed in 1997 from data collected in 1990-1993, there was a 39 percent reduction in the rate of fatal injuries to children and adolecents compared with a previous study completed of data compiled from 1979-1981. Rivara states that this reduction is probably due to several factors including better EMS care, better trauma care and increased prevention efforts.

How do we prevent these injuries and fatalities to our next generation of farmers? A combination of education, improved engineering, and enforced regulation are all needed to prohibit unnecessary injuries on the farm. As a parent, all three factors are your responsibility. You can make sure equipment is safe for your children to operate and you can enforce all safety rules with consequences. But, one of the biggest impacts you can have on your child's behavior is in proper education and training.

How do you get the message of safety across without sounding "preachy"?

• Make the experience fun. Most kids want to be involved. Use that to your advantage.
• Take into consideration your child's physical, mental and emotional abilities to determine when to teach children about a specific task. Many accidents occur when a child is doing something that is beyond his or her ability.
• After deciding your child is ready to be taught a task, gradually guide the child through the safe way of doing the assignment.
• Keep the conversation light and informative, not rigid while still stressing the importance of following "all the rules".