Base children’s farm and ranch chores on capability

By Amanda Hearne

Project Coordinator

Wyoming AgrAbility

            Growing up on a ranch or a farm presents many opportunities and experiences to children and adolescents. There is always something new to explore, a chore needing to be done, and equipment needing to be moved or repaired, and there are other potentially hazardous jobs to be done. 

            The 1992 Census of Agriculture reported 923,000 children under the age of 15 and 346,000 children between 15-19 years of age lived on farms and ranches

            An estimated 20 percent of all farm deaths are children. Approximately 27,000 children under the age of 20 are seriously injured on farms and ranches each year.  Studies show one-third to one-half of the nonfatal childhood agriculture injuries are those of children who do not live on farms. Add the injuries of children residing on farms and those visiting or working on non-family farms and the number of serious injuries nears 100,000. 

            More than half of agriculture-related fatalities in children are from tractor and other machine-related incidents.

            These startling numbers show the importance of early prevention and childhood safety education.

            Parents should assess the developmental characteristics of children to help prevent injuries. Parents often overestimate a child’s ability to participate in certain tasks. A 10- or 12-year old child may be strong enough and responsible enough to drive a tractor, but he or she may not have the cognitive ability to act appropriately in an emergency. 

            Children are attracted to new items. The following preventative strategies offer guides to various age groups, compiled from the Centers for Disease Control, Farm Safety Just 4 Kids (www.fs4jk.org/), and the National Ag Safety Database (www.cdc.gov/nasd/).

Up to 4 years:

• Never have a child as an extra rider on machinery or equipment.

• Lock up chemicals, and use barriers such as fences around ponds or manure piles

• Store ladders appropriately – out of reach of children or securely fastened

• Provide safe play areas and things to play with that are still appealing to children, such as swings, scale models of farm equipment, toys, sandboxes, or playhouses

• Supervise a child at all times.

• Potentially age-appropriate tasks: none – children at this age should not be exposed to work hazards.

5-9 years:

• Set and enforce rules

• Discuss safe behavior

• Assign and closely supervise age-appropriate chores

• Talk openly about injuries and consequences of actions

• Never assign intense chores that can lead to physical exhaustion, such as hauling bales – this could lead to inattention and other risky behaviors

• Play games that focus on farm safety issues

• Potentially age-appropriate tasks: Short duration tasks that require little to no hand-eye coordination; hand tool projects (NO power tools), watering plants, feeding small animals, egg collection, etc.

10-13 years:

• VERY dangerous age – constant risk taking, easily distracted, and clumsy

• Never assume a child’s size means he or she is capable of certain tasks

• Enroll child in bike safety – require and enforce use of safety helmets

• Set and enforce clear rules

• Provide education on farm hazard prevention. See http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/watch/out/farm_safety.html or http://www.fs4jk.org/     

• Plan increases in chores and responsibilities

• Start with low-risk tasks and gradually increase responsibility and decrease supervision

• Potentially age-appropriate tasks:  Hand raking a lawn, limited power tool use with supervision, lawn mower operation, handle and assist with animals.  

13-16 years:

• Judge size and age to measure maturity for tasks

• Be consistent with rules

• Provide education with their peers on farm injuries

• Provide ATV training and protective gear. See University of Wyoming publication http://ces.uwyo.edu/PUBS/MP118-1.pdf or www.paatving.com/press/asi/2002_asi_info.asp

• Become involved in 4-H and FFA safety projects

• Potentially age-appropriate tasks: equipment operation and maintenance (with supervision), manual handling of feed and feeding animals.

16-18 years:

• Provide rules regarding drugs and alcohol; encourage open communication

• Rewards for accepting responsibility

• Serve as role model for younger children

• Potentially age-appropriate tasks: May be ready to work with tractors, self-propelled machinery, etc. 

• Should be trained, educated, and supervised regularly.

            Conduct regular safety audits of the farm/ranch site and home. A farm safety audit can be a good place to start (http://www.farmsafewa.org/downloads/15min%20Checklist.pdf)

            Children should be included to increase their knowledge and awareness of injury prevention. Practice good housekeeping by locking and safely storing items that could be hazardous, such as guns, chemicals, power tools, and cords. Secure large objects against walls or fences. When available, these items (such as tractor tires) should be stored flat. Appropriate safety decals should be explained and kept where they can be seen. Children should be able to safely feed and water animals from outside their pens.

            These suggestions can help reduce certain risks to children on farms and ranches, but the best preventative measure is supervision. Children should have adequate training and supervision when given a task. Dangers are not just from equipment but also from animals and even in the home.