KDHE Home - News 1999 - News Release
Kansas
Department of Health & Environment
Bill Graves, Governor
Clyde D. Graeber, Secretary
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jan Stegelman, 785-296-1223
Farming Safely With Children
Many people make a living off their land. From planting to harvesting, farming requires hard labor, as well as operating heavy machinery. Although many children grow up watching their parents farm, many likely do not have the proper skills to safely operate equipment.
Each year, approximately 70 children ages 14 and under die and an estimated 150,000 are injured on farms and ranches. More often these injuries are to boys ages 4-14, and occur during the summer months, on weekends and during evening hours.
"Children don't necessarily understand the risks of certain tasks," said Jan Stegelman, coordinator of the Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition. "They may seem physically able to drive a tractor, but mentally they may not have the maturity to operate it safely."
Understanding a child's development, limiting chores and learning proper safety precautions can help reduce the risk of injury.
Often, children must first learn about farming by watching their parents and older siblings. A child's curiosity plays a significant role in this experience, exploring and learning without considering possible danger. Parents should consistently set a good example on how to properly perform farm-related activities. The Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition suggests the following safety tips for parents with children ages 4 and under:
Constantly supervise young children inside the house and keep them in a fenced-off play area away from farming activities when outside.
Prohibit children from riding or playing on farm machinery even with an adult present. Preschoolers see this equipment as a toy. Young children should be taught that farm machinery is off-limits for riding and should never go near it.
Remove items such as ladders or crates that children can use for climbing.
Store poisonous materials locked up and out of children's reach. Curious children may want to place an unknown substance in their mouths. To help prevent poisonings, make sure toxic products have child-resistant packaging if available and place them in locked cabinets and out of reach.
At this age, children continue to learn through touching and exploring and pay little attention to danger. It is important for these children to be allowed to perform only small tasks on the farm. The Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition recommends the following for parents with 5- and 6-year-olds:
Supervise children inside the house and outdoors at all times.
Assign simple indoor tasks such as cleaning rooms or watering plants. Longer, more complex projects may not be appropriate as children this age tend to have very short attention spans.
Allow children to feed and care for small household pets. Young children should never go near larger farm livestock. Encourage safe behavior by teaching them to feed and take care of family pets such as dogs and cats.
Exploration and creativity are important factors to this age group as are parental acceptance and approval. These children should be given limited tasks as some may try to work beyond their capacity in pursuit of praise. In addition, children at this age are easily distracted and should be constantly supervised. The Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition suggests the following when assigning farm-related projects to these children:
Enroll children in safety courses and discuss safety with them to ensure proper behavior on the farm.
Review safety rules with your child before designating a task. Make sure your child understands exactly what needs to be done and reinforce the importance of practicing safe behavior.
Assign and demonstrate the proper way to perform simple farm-related tasks, such as collecting eggs, planting/watering the family garden, weeding and picking small field crops, such as strawberries. Children can assist in many ways and this age group learns best by demonstration. Make sure to carefully supervise children when they are completing a task, and periodically check with the child to confirm understanding of the project.
As children continue to grow, they may appear to be ready for more responsibility. However, parents should never mistake a child's size for ability to do work. It is important for parents to assess the child's alertness and ability to perform work, and to continually enforce safety.
Parents and caregivers should consider the following recommendations when farming with children in this age group:
Enroll children in safety courses and discuss safety with them to ensure proper behavior on the farm.
Allow children to assist in the handling of animals. Make sure to closely supervise children while performing tasks such as milking cows and tending to horses.
Teach children how to assist with outdoor projects such as raking, digging or cleaning barns and stalls. Children may use small unpowered hand tools and assist with the upkeep of farm shelters, as long as they are supervised at all times.
This age group can potentially be most at risk as many adolescents are greatly influenced by peer pressure, are rapidly growing, but lack coordination and possess an intense desire to impress others. Often, they participate in risky activities and reject parental supervision. To keep these children safe, the Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition suggests the following:
Set clear and consistent rules and discuss the consequences and rewards. Make sure that adolescents understand the job to be performed and how to do it properly and safely. Parents should still consider working side-by-side with children, while monitoring their comprehension and task performance.
Enroll adolescents in equipment safety courses. Children should not operate any power equipment until they have been properly trained. This type of instruction will help teens develop strong safety habits while they perform the tasks.
Gradually increase the use of supplies and tools. Teach children how to properly use small power equipment, such as hand tools, based on training, maturity, and readiness to handle them.
Never allow young adolescents to operate tractors, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) or other heavy machinery.
Prohibit them from lifting heavy boxes, crates or other objects. Lifting can inflict excessive strain and lead to possible injury.
Children are a valuable resource for farm work, and proper safety and training can help minimize the risk of injury. However, children learn best by watching adults, and it's imperative for parents and caregivers to consistently perform tasks properly and enforce safety at all times.
The Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition, Inc. is a nonprofit group of 67 statewide organizations and businesses that have joined to protect Kansas children from unintentional injury -- the leading killer of Kansas kids. Local coalitions and chapters are located in Wichita, Johnson County, Lawrence, Salina, Barber County, Topeka, Ford County, Manhattan, Hutchinson, Pottawatomie County, Clay County, and Osage County. Kansas SAFE KIDS is part of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign.
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