Students at St. Augustine Catholic School learned valuable farm safety tips last week.
From grades K to Grade 6, young children were given important tips on safety while working or playing on the farm by Carol Senz, a safety instructor with an organization called the Farm Safety Centre. She and seven other instructors tour rural Alberta schools with the goal of keeping farm families safe.
During one presentation, a Grade 5 class played a game called Don’t Press Your Luck. Senz answered different farm safety related questions and in turn won points.
While the points were not important, knowledge of the risks is. Senz said accidents with farm equipment do not just occur with tractors. Risks can involve riding a snowmobile, a quad, and even a horse.
Senz said the number of farm vehicle rollovers increases in the summer when workers are out more. Sometimes the front wheel of a tractor may hit a hole or ride-on lawn mowers may flip if they are on too steep of a hill.
Another issue for ATV riders is the risk of head injuries; Senz said the risk of head injury is six times greater without a helmet. “When people know this, why do they still not wear helmets?” she asked.
One student suggested those who use quads do not think it is cool to wear a helmet. Another student made the observation that sometimes doing farm chores becomes routine and people can become relaxed and neglect safety.
Senz agreed. “Now they think, ‘I can never get hurt that way.’”
Sometimes adding a passenger to one-seat vehicles or two people to a horse is even more dangerous. The risk increases as two riders may make the ride imbalanced. When climbing a hill, a quad can become back heavy or when going down a hill with a second person the front of the quad can become front heavy.
Senz said kids may want to try out their skills on bigger equipment as well but advises against this. “Ride within your ability.”
These same rules apply with horses, she added. Senz has been riding horses for 20 years but she knows her limitations and suggests kids should only ride a bigger or faster horse when they have the experience and size.
“I know I don’t have the ability to get on every horse,” said Senz.
Riding quads and snowmobiles should also be done once a person’s abilities have improved, she added. “You’ve gotta take your time to start with the small quads.”
And while having a horse can be a rewarding experience, Senz said in the last 20 years, the majority of agricultural related deaths in children have involved horses. She advised kids wear the proper equipment and gain horse-riding experience before moving up to a larger horse.
Most of the students who live on a farm or acreage said they have seen or encountered farm accidents. Senz hopes by speaking with younger children, a new generation of farmers will be able to minimize the risks.
Other lessons to each group of students according to grades included:
• Kindergarten: Passenger run-over risks
• Grade 1: Bystander run-over risks
• Grade 2: Rural drowning hazards
• Grade 4: Increased on-farm involvement
• Grade 5: Rider related falls and collisions
• Grade 6: ATV and animal involvement
Alberta Farm Safety receives funding from counties around Alberta, and from private and corporate donations.