Whether you have children living on your farm or just visiting, you can limit the number of hazards they’re exposed to, and teach them how to stay safe on the farm. Animals, farm vehicles, machinery, water hazards, chemicals and roads are the most common causes of injury to rural kids. In 2007/2008 there were 44 new claims for moderate to serious injuries to children on farms. This page suggests ways to prevent injuries to your kids.
Minimise potential hazards
Follow these tips to make your farm safer for children:
- Make sure before you start or reverse machinery that you know where the kids are.
- Leave any equipment that might fall, such as front-end loaders, in the resting or ‘down’ position.
- When farm vehicles and any self-propelled farm machinery are parked, lock the brakes and remove the keys from the ignition.
- Always leave a tractor power take-off in neutral.
- Keep the protective gear on machinery in good repair, particularly protective shields, rollover protective structures (ROPS), and seat belts.
- Fence off farm ponds, swimming pools and manure pits.
- Place fixed ladders out of reach, or fit them with a special barrier. Store portable ladders away from danger areas.
- Lock up or shield dangerous machinery, electrical boxes and wiring.
- Store chemicals and pesticides in a locked area – out of sight and reach of children.
- Place warning labels on grain bins, wagons and trucks, and teach your kids to keep away.
Teach kids how to stay safe
- Teach children to stay away from farm vehicles, hazardous machinery and equipment at all times – it doesn’t matter if the gear is idle, it’s still out of bounds. Let them know these things are work tools not toys.
- Devote a day to family safety. Teach kids basic farm safety rules. Or better still, think about setting up a rural safety day at your local school. Check out our booklet for more information: ACC543 Rural safety days – guidelines for planning effective rural safety days for rural children (PDF 811K).
- Put kids onto the Danger Rangers - Farm game. It’s an online game aimed at children age 7-11. They can have fun while learning how to make the farm a safer place to be.
Last updated: 20 April 2009