By Emily Krekelberg
U of M Extension Educator,
Farm Safety and Health
The farm is a great place to raise kids, but it’s also dangerous. About one-third of all farm accidents involve children. Prevent your child from becoming a statistic: make sure they understand on-farm hazards, only give them age-appropriate tasks, and make sure they are supervised.
Many of the everyday hazards on the farm are not always recognized. Talk to children about what makes certain areas of the farm dangerous, and ask them what they think they can do to keep themselves safe. Important areas to cover include machinery, livestock, grain bins and silos, and chemicals.
Kids tend to be very eager helpers on the farm. Although they may want to help with everything, consider the age appropriateness of certain tasks. Helping feed livestock, cleaning out pens, operating machinery – these and other tasks will not be appropriate for every child. Think about age, development, and body size when considering which tasks to assign. A great resource for determining age appropriateness is the Agricultural Youth Work Guidelines from the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety. They can be found at cultivatesafety.org/work.
Lastly, supervision is critical to keeping kids safe on the farm – whether they are working or not. Over half of child injuries on farms happen to children who are not working, but are simply “in the vicinity.” Keeping a watchful eye on any kids around the farm is crucial in ensuring their safety. Prevent your child from becoming a statistic.