John
Shutske
University of Minnesota Extension Service
Two-year
old Heather 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."
Each
year, hundreds of children like Heather are hurt or killed
while playing or working on the family farm. 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."
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.
Farm
injuries happen when a child is doing something that is beyond
his or her mental, physical or emotional 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.
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.
The
chart on the back 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? 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 agent, or State Extension Agricultural Safety and
Health Specialist.
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
Produced
by the Educational Development System, University of Minnesota
Extension Service.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this
material is available in alternative formats upon request.
Please contact your Minnesota county extension office or,
outside of Minnesota, contact the Distribution Center at (612)
625-8173.
The University of Minnesota Extension Service is committed
to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to
its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to
race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital
status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status,
or sexual orientation.
University of Minnesota Extension Service Home Page
|