The calendar is giving us a break this year. Since Christmas
falls on a Wednesday, many
school kids will have two full weeks of holiday vacation.

What’s a kid to do?

Many older kids and teens go to work on the farm to earn a
little money or just help
out. Younger children want to play outside. If they’re on a
farm, that’s usually around
water or in barns and sheds.

"Parents have to be especially careful when allowing
children and youths to help
with farm chores and even where they play on the farm,"
said Bob Tyson, an engineer
with the University of Georgia Extension Service.

National statistics reveal that 300 youths under age 20 die
on U.S. farms and ranches
every year. Nearly 27,000 are injured.

"It’s up to parents to lead children in the right
direction and insist that they
follow safety rules," Tyson said.

For many parents, that’s a special incentive to follow safety
rules themselves. Setting
a good example may be the best way to teach children safe farm
working habits.

Children watch adults around them to learn safety rules and
when, or if, it’s OK to
break them sometimes. "It’s never OK to break safety
rules," Tyson said.

He said youths ages 13 to 14 can probably do just about every
job that needs to be done
on a farm. Parents should work closely with younger children.
Once parents learn their
child’s abilities they can make judgments about allowing the
child to do a certain farm
job.

Most children under 13 can operate tractors and other heavy
machinery during routine
tasks. But Tyson said they probably can’t react quickly and
appropriately when an
emergency occurs.

Make sure they know to:

* Put any PTO shaft into neutral before they get off the
tractor.

* Never, ever, reach or step over a PTO shaft.

* Never get into filled or filling grain storage bins.

* Leave any equipment that might fall parked with the bucket
or lift on the ground.

* Always know where all the people around them are before
starting or moving tractors
or equipment.

Parents need to make sure their children and their friends
know the dangers on the
farm.

"Dangers are everywhere — not just around tractors and
equipment," Tyson
said.

Many children like to ride in pickup truck beds. But without
seat belts, they can
easily fall or be thrown out of the truck during a minor
accident or sudden stop. In
Georgia, passengers under 18 must use seat belts, no matter what
type of vehicle they’re
in.

Watch youths on all-terrain vehicles. Be sure children have
and use a properly fitted
helmet while riding ATVs. Just because makers downsize some
models for children, it
doesn’t mean they can safely handle them.

Store farm chemicals in locked rooms or separate buildings
away from normal play areas.
Never put chemicals into containers anyone could mistake for a
drink.

Make sure all safety shields and guards are in place and
intact. Even children watching
a parent making repairs or working could be hurt by flying parts
or debris.

Lock access doors to grain storage bins. Loose corn or grain
looks like fun to play in,
but can’t support the weight of even small children. Anyone in a
grain bin can sink into
the bin and suffocate.

"Almost all accidents that happen on a farm are
preventable," said Mike
Bader, an extension engineer.

While many children and youths enjoy helping around the farm,
it’s important that they
know and follow safety rules, too.