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With everything happening on your farm, kids are often eager to lend a helping hand and want to play an active role in getting work done. But, before you let them pull on their boots and roll up their sleeves, invest some time to educate them about agricultural health and safety.
With today’s online training and resources, it’s never been easier to help ensure kids’ safety. Explore these ideas to train youngsters and help them build healthy and safe habits around the farm and ranch:
Children love spending time on the farm, and who can blame them? Let them take part in your farming dreams and keep them safe at the same time — you’ll have a dedicated little helper in no time.
Many farmers and their families know someone whose life has been impacted by a farm-related emergency. Accident prevention is possible, and groups like progressiveag.org have made it their mission to bring farm health and safety practices into local communities.
Take a look online for Agricultural Safety Day programs scheduled in your area. The Progressive Agricultural Foundation’s mission is to help children on farms with safety training and provide resources for them that really has made a difference.
Narrator: Building a successful farm takes time, dedication, hard work and a keen business sense. It also takes smart thinking when it comes to safety, and we're here to help.
Let's start small. Always store gasoline away from potential ignition or heat sources. While you're at it, lock up any pesticides, herbicides and chemicals — especially if there are kids around.
Next, take time to install and maintain slow-moving vehicle emblems. Do a sweep of your property and repair any areas where someone could slip, trip or fall.
On screen:
Narrator: Be sure to take your own safety into consideration by investing in quality hearing protection. Keep everyone out of harm's way by installing and maintaining guards or shields around PTOs, exposed pulleys, belts and universal joints.
Finally, one of the smartest actions to take to protect your farm is having the right insurance coverages. Connect with an agent today to set the stage for a safe successful farm for generations to come you.
On screen: American Family Insurance
Find an agent at AmFam.com
This Marshfield Clinic research institute is a fantastic resource for cultivating youth safety through prevention and safety best practices programs. Their resources on avoiding child agricultural injury help farmers, ranchers, managers and the media to work as one — shining a light agricultural risks more so than ever before.
Work with kids by reminding them that everyone’s safety should always be their top priority. Here are a few important ways you can help remind kids about staying safe on the farm:
Order age-appropriate farm safety posters online and put them up around the farm in areas where kids and visitors will see them.
Move tools, sharp objects and poisonous liquids into lockable storage areas — you don’t want young children picking up things they shouldn’t.
Keep children away from dangerous areas — like ponds, manure pits or equipment sheds — by closing them off while youngsters are on the farm.
Kids love the idea of driving the tractor or playing with the animals, but make sure they know not to do anything that could put them in danger. Only let them around livestock and equipment when supervised by an adult.
Always make sure you’re keeping an eye on your kids while on the farm. With so much to see and do, it’s not uncommon for children to wander off and explore.
Keep little ones safe by making sure everyone on the farm knows to look out for them when going about their daily tasks.
Children’s abilities change as they get older, so be mindful about what they can and cannot do on their own. For example, a preschool-aged child really isn’t ready for any chores, but older kids may be able to take on small tasks like feeding the calves or harvesting the chicken eggs.
Reinforce positive outcomes when your kids make safe and smart decisions. Be sure to celebrate the moment and let them know that you’re proud that they’re working so hard.
While you’re exploring ways to enrich the lives of your children on the farm remember to get on your American Family Insurance agent’s calendar. You’ll find they’re dedicated to the success and longevity of agricultural operations. And commitment like that can bring you real peace of mind.
Related Topics: Farm Safety
