Farm Safety at Farm Progress
Every year an average of 113 youth die from farm-related injuries. This fact, along with several others concerning farm safety, were posted in a farm safety display outside the Monsanto tents at the 2009 Farm Progress Show. The farm safety demonstrations were part of an effort by Monsanto to drive home the importance of farm safety, for kids and adults alike.
“This is the first year we’ve had this display at Farm Progress,” said Ken Mathias, Environmental Health and Safety Generalist at Monsanto. “We’ve had a great response, almost everyone I meet here has a personal story about one of the stations, and it just reiterates how serious you have to be about farm safety.”
The demo area consisted of three interactive stations. The most popular was the seatbelt convincer, a machine that strapped the rider into a seatbelt and put them through a simulated crash at 3-5 mph. Those who rode the convincer came away with the same look of shock at how jolting a crash at just 5 mph could be. Several of those who tried it remarked they would never again get in a moving vehicle without a seatbelt.
The two other stations demonstrated the importance of safety and following proper equipment handling procedures around augers, PTOs and grain bins. Using popsicle sticks and foam tubing, the Monsanto reps demonstrated the power of the machines and how easy it is to lose an appendage. A simple t-shirt was used to show how easy it is to become entangled in a PTO.
The grain bin station used a doll to demonstrate how easy it is to become engulfed in stored grain. Once sunk up to the knees in grain it takes about 170 lbs of force to pull a 165-lb person out. That number nearly doubles to 300 lbs of force when the grain reaches the waist, and to lift out a fully engulfed person it takes about 900lbs of force.
In addition to the demo area, Monsanto hosted a presentation by Farm Safety 4 Just Kids about tractor and farm equipment safety. The presentation featured sobering statistics about incidents involving youth on farms and provided essential safety tips to keep kids safe around farm equipment.
“The best way to keep your children safe is to set rules for handling farm equipment and make no exceptions to them,” Beth William, the Tennessee Outreach Coordinator for Farm Safety 4 Just Kids, said. “Monkey see, monkey do – if kids see you or any other adult bend the rules, they are going to bend the rules too -- and they’re going to get hurt.”
Farm equipment and ATV’s contribute to 42 percent of the fatal injuries in youth on U.S. farms. So, while taking the extra time to follow the proper safety handling procedures may seem like a hassle it is worth it to keep kids safe around the farm.
