John
Shutske
University of Minnesota Extension Service
Just an
accident?
- Two-year-old
Ashley rides on her father's lap in the tractor cab as dad
mows his field. Distracted by a butterfly at the window,
she slips off his lap and is jostled against the door, which
swings open. She falls out and is crushed by the tractor's
rear wheel before her father has time to react. Her death
is reported as another "tragic farm accident."
- Seven-year-old
Jason is cleaning out stalls in the family dairy barn alone
when a massive cow steps sideways, pinning the boy against
the stall wall and breaking his ribs. Was it "just an accident"?
- Derek,
a high school senior, is helping his father by unloading
grain on a cold evening. He leans back off the tractor and
falls, hands-first, on to the unshielded, spinning PTO shaft.
First one arm, then the other is ripped loose as he grabs
at the shaft.
Five
or six times a year, a child like Ashley is killed in Minnesota
while playing or working on the family farm. No one even knows
how many farm children like Derek or Jason* are hurt or maimed
each year. These farm "accidents" happen so often that it's
difficult to keep track of them.
Farm
accidents involving children may seem unpredictable and random.
It may seem that they can't be prevented. Some people even
believe they are simply "the price of farming."
But no
parent should have to sacrifice a beloved child's health just
to preserve a way of life. And no farm child should have to
die in "just an accident." In fact, farm accidents to children
are not random. They are very predictable. And almost all
of them could be prevented, according to child and farm safety
experts.
A
farm child's desire to do "grown-up" work may exceed his
development and ability.
As they
grow, all children pass through a series of developmental
stages that take them from toddler to teenager. The physical
changes are obvious, as a child grows taller and stronger.
But along with physical changes, come changes in mental and
emotional development that are sometimes harder to recognize.
For example,
take a two-year-old, a toddler. Although she may be barely
able to talk, a toddler is an active, engaged learner who
is driven to explore her world as directly as she can. If
she sees someone hide a colorful bottle in a cabinet, she
will do her best to get at it, open the bottle, and taste
its contents; even if she has been warned not to and even
if the bottle contains poison. Preschool children can't be
expected to understand cause and effect, because they're not
developmentally ready to do so.
If parents
of very young children understand these characteristics, they
can take the right precautions, such as using "child-proof"
fasteners on cabinets containing cleaning fluids or farm chemicals.
Toddlers need physical barriers, such as fences, gates and
locks, to keep them away from dangerous areas.
Teenagers,
on the other hand, are mentally equipped to understand that
risky behavior often has unpleasant consequences. But they
are often driven to ignore common sense to satisfy the emotional
need for experimentation that is typical of that age. A 16-year
old who drives his father's pickup too fast down a county
road probably knows the speed limit. He's speeding because
he wants to, not because he doesn't know any better or because
his legs aren't strong enough to press the brake pedal. e
may also be speeding for "thrills," because there isn't enough
entertainment or recreation for his age group.
Parents
of teenagers must acknowledge this need for excitement and
experimentation, supplying safe challenges for their maturing
teens. Sports, teen activities and trips into the city can
all satisfy these needs.
It's
up to parents and responsible adults to keep farm kids safe.
Age
appropriate activities can reduce the risk of accidents
By understanding
the stages of a child's growth and development and by providing
careful supervision and training that's right for each stage,
parents and other adults can protect farm kids. Sound obvious?
It may be. But take the three "accidents" described earlier.
In each case, the child acted in a way that was consistent
with his or her developmental ability, and was hurt or killed
because of it.
Next
is a chart that describes typical developmental stages, risks
that farm kids at each stage may take, and appropriate protective
measures. How well does this chart describe the youngest farmers
in your household or community? Does it suggest ways that
Ashley, Jason and Derek could have been protected from injury
and death? Are there ways you can better protect the farm
children you care about?
Characteristics |
Typical Risks |
Protective Measures |
Toddler/Preschooler
Unable to understand cause and effect
Illogical, "magic" thinking
Fascinated by movement or moving parts
May love to climb
Curious |
Drinking or eating poison
Falling off farm equipment or pickup truck
Drowning in pond or manure pit
Wandering into highway |
Careful supervision at home or in childcare
Physical barriers such as locks & fences
Safe distractions
Prohibiting riding on farm machinery |
Early School Age (5-9)
Inconsistent use of logic
Wishes to appear competent
Wants adult approval
Not aware of realistic dangers÷more fearful of kidnapping
or war than of much more likely farm accident |
Livestock kicks or crushing
Entanglement in augers or other moving machinery
Falling out of tractor or pickup |
Consistent rules
Discussion of safe behavior
Assignment of simple farm chores, with careful supervision
Bike safety training and use of bike helmet |
Older School Age (10-13)
Greater physical and mental skills
Physical development may outstrip mental or emotional
maturity
Wants social and peer acceptance
Wishes to practice new skills without constant adult supervision
|
Operating machinery designed for adults.
Being struck by a car while riding bicycle
Falling from hay loft or ladder |
Consistent rules, with consequences for infractions and
rewards for safe behavior
Bike safety classes, use of bike helmet
Deliberate, planned increases in chores and responsibilities
Specific education on farm hazard avoidance |
Adolescent (13-16)
Desire to experiment
Strong need for peer acceptance
Resistance to adult authority |
Machinery rollover or roadway accident
Hearing loss from exposure to loud machinery
Head or spine injury from motorcycle or ATV accident |
Education from peers who have experienced injury or illness
themselves
Consistent rules, with predictable consequences for infractions
and rewards for safe behavior
Motorcycle and ATV safety education and use of helmets
Involvement in farm safety projects through 4-H, FFA and
other groups |
Young Adult (16-18)
Increasing sense of adult responsibility and competence
Desire to be supportive, take on adult share of farm work
Need to take risks
Feeling of "immortality" |
Same as adult risks: respiratory illness, tractor or machinery
rollover or entanglement, hearing loss, muscle or bone
injuries
Additional risk from experimentation with alcohol or drugs
|
Clear and consistent rules regarding drugs and alcohol
Rewards for acceptance of adult responsibilities
Opportunity to be role model, teaching younger children
about farm safety |
If you'd
like to know more about child farm safety, contact your local
extension educator, or State Extension Agricultural Safety
and Health Specialist.
A related
publication is University of Minnesota Extension Service Item
, FO-5791
Farm Safety Day Camps
Information
on the World Wide Web: Farm Safety & Health Information Clearinghouse
at http://safety.cfans.umn.edu/
* the names of these children are fictitious; their stories
are not.
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not
represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears
by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
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