Farm machinery is the leading cause of farm accidents, especially for kids.
The National Farm Medicine Center says that about 33 kids are hurt everyday across the country on farms and the main culprit is machinery. With more kids at home during the pandemic, the center says that parents need to be aware.
According to Melissa Proeckleman, an outreach specialist, “Create a safe play area for your youth. Create an area where they can play, and they’re not getting into any hazards or dangerous situations while you’re maybe getting some other task done. It only takes a second for them to be underneath a large animal or digging in a chemical in the barn and you didn’t know until it’s too late.”
The center also recommends making a physical barrier around the “safe zone” so your kids know where they should not go. They say do not allow children on tractors, because the roll over bar only protects the driver not the passenger, and the extra seat is meant for an instructor.
