Sharry Nielsen, Extension Educator
University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension
Higher, Grandpa, higher! Gleefully shouted 4-year-old Mikey Dobberpuhl to his grandfather, Harlow. His grandfather was feeding cattle with a front-end loader on that brisk March day in South Dakota. Mikey loved shadowing his grandfather’s every move at chore time, even on a snow-packed winter day like this one. As he had done many times before, Mikey jumped in the scoop of the tractor-loader. With Mikey in tow, his grandfather drove toward the haystack. Once there, Harlow briefly glanced backward. Horrified, he saw Mikey’s body lying in the snow. "I was hoping that the soft snow would have cushioned him, but it wasn’t enough," his grandfather said. Today, the Mikey D. Chapter (of Farm Safety 4 Just Kids) of Conde, SD works feverishly to educate local children, youth, and farm families about not only tractor safety, but all aspects of farm safety. (Taken with permission from the Dakota Farmer)
Did you know . . .
an estimated 350 to 450 fatalities nationwide are due to tractor incidents?
thousands of injuries and millions of dollars are lost due to property damage, medical bills, time off work, reduced productivity, and added insurance costs?
farm machinery was the leading cause of death in 2003, accounting for 36% of deaths to youth less than 20?
thirty percent of farm machinery related deaths were among children less than 5 years of age?
machinery is the leading cause of farm deaths in 29 states???
Tractors are essential to modern agriculture, but are unfortunately identified as the largest hazard on the farm. Roll-over protective structure (ROPS) and seat belts, when worn, are the two most important safety devices to protect operators from death during tractor overturns.
As parents, it is important to both teach and model safe behavior when operating a tractor. When teaching and supervising teens, practice these tips:
Securely fasten your seat belt in tractors with ROPS or cabs.
Reduce speed when turning, crossing slopes, and on rough, muddy, or slick terrain.
Avoid slopes that are too steep for safe operation.
No riders. Riders are allowed only for teaching or supervising purposes.
Be sure everyone is clear before moving.
Set brakes and use park locks if available.
Remove keys when leaving the tractor.
Recognize hazards and know how to avoid them.
Young children should never be allowed to ride along on a tractor. Show them the dangers by using their toy tractors and pretend operators. Try these:
As a tractor overturns in a ditch or on too steep a slope, the toy operator is thrown off if there is not a cab or seatbelt in use, often ending up under the tractor.
Overload and raise the loader of a toy tractor to see how the tractor tips backwards, throwing the pretend operator into harm’s way.
Put a toy child in the loader or on a fender of the toy tractor to show what happens when it hits a bump in the road or on a slope. The toy child is easily thrown off.
Remember: No extra riders, no injured riders. It can’t get any simpler than that.
This week, discuss safe tractor operation and use with your children. Even if you don’t live on a farm, your children might have grandparents or friends who do live on a farm. They need to know how to be safe. Let’s keep our children safe.
To send us feedback on this article log on to unlforfamilies.unl.edu and click on TIPS then click on Feedback.
Adapted from: Farm Safety 4 Just Kids news release 3/9/2004
