Puck Equipment Safety Part 5: Child Safety When Using Equipment 

There are a number of children that live on farms or have relatives that do. What is being done for child safety? These kids are always excited to have the opportunity to help out whenever possible, especially as the weather is nice and school is out for a break. Unfortunately, some children are injured or die in agriculture-related accidents every year.

Most of these incidents involve equipment and are preventable. Child safety starts with adults. Kids look up to their parents and imitate adult behavior, whether it is safe or not. Make sure proper safety procedures become part of everyday life, especially when children are around. Encourage your kids to help out on the operation, but make sure it is done in a safe manner and does not put anyone in harm’s way. 

Basic Safety Tasks 

• Take all youth on a tour of the farm and point out dangerous areas. It would be good to do this once a year as a reminder and as their role in the operation changes. 

• Take young worker’s physical and mental development into account when assigning jobs. 

• Each task has its hazards. Teach the child how to avoid them. Teach them how to do the job safely and watch them do it. 

• Provide needed protective equipment and ensure they wear it. 

Equipment Safety Around Children

• Wear seat belts when driving, and fasten kids in approved child safety seats in vehicles. Wear a helmet when riding an ATV (all-terrain vehicle). 

• Children should NOT operate machinery until they are thoroughly trained. This includes all Puck Enterprises equipment, lawnmowers, ATV’s and more. Once trained, keep an eye on the child the first few times and always ensure they are following safety rules. 

• Do not allow youth to play or ride on tractors or other pieces of farm machinery. Adults need to take certain precautions if an unsupervised child plays on equipment. Big machinery is fascinating to children. This machinery can lead to accidents, so talk with your child about safety with these vehicles. 

• Do not leave ignition keys in parked equipment and lock the brakes. 

• Equipment that could fall on a child, like a front-end loader, should be left in the down position. 

• Children should be taught where and how to turn off all farm machinery. If a person becomes entangled, a child could save his/her life by turning off the equipment and getting help. 

Grain, Silage, and Manure Storage Areas

Kids must know not to enter a silo, grain bin, or manure pit to rescue another person. If someone is caught in one of these structures and a child enters the same way, they can become trapped too. The child does need to know how to turn off an operating auger and turn on a fan, if one is present, and then get assistance. 

• Mark all potentially dangerous areas, such as grain bins, manure pits, wagons, and trucks, with decals or brightly colored markers. Children need to learn to recognize danger. 

• Always lock access to manure pit or grain bin storage structures. 

• Lockout power to all types of grain-handling equipment. 

• Never permit children to ride grain wagons or enter grain storage areas. 

• Teach your child never to enter a manure pit. Label manure pits and storage areas to warn of the hazard. 

• Never enter a building when manure is being agitated for removal. 

• Always use maximum building ventilation during manure agitation. Be sure manure pit covers are secure and in good repair. Be sure all lagoons are adequately fenced. 

• Obtain and use monitoring equipment to determine the level of gases present.

Properly Clothe Children Who Will Be On The Farm 

• Appropriate footwear (boots or shoes without long laces), jeans, long sleeve shirt, and a hat are recommended. 
  
• Use sunscreen. One serious childhood or adolescent sunburn doubles the chances of developing skin cancer. The sun is strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. 

• Ensure all clothing is properly fitting. Clothes that are too baggy could get stuck in machinery or cause the child to trip. 

Animal Behavior

• Kids love animals, but animals do not always love kids. Children should be taught how to handle and work around animals to lessen potential hazards. 

• Respect for all animals should be one of the first things taught to young kids. Keep livestock in the appropriate pens or fenced areas. 

• Kids need to be aware of their location so they do not get behind an animal and get stepped on or kicked. Running or screaming around animals can cause the animal to become spooked, which could lead to injury. 

• Children need to be taught and warned to stay away from farm animals with their young. A new mother can quickly turn on a child if she feels her young are threatened. 

• Encourage kids to be calm, move slowly, and avoid making loud noises when around farm animals. 

Poisons and Medicines 

• There is always a way to keep deadly and hazardous material out of the hands of kids. 

• Make sure to keep all medicines and poisons in their original packaging so there is no confusion about the potentially dangerous contents of a container.  

• Always keep pesticides in locked storage and their original, labeled container. This is one of the most important safety rules. 

• Instruct children about warning signs and items that they are supposed to stay away from. Be a good role model when using chemicals by using proper protective clothing. Discard all empty chemical containers and measuring utensils correctly. 

• Remove kids and toys from the area when applying chemicals. 

• Keep the telephone number of the Poison Control Center close to the phone and instruct children about proper emergency procedures. 

• Wash chemically soiled clothes separately from the rest of the laundry. 

• When interrupted while working with chemicals, close all containers and put them out of the reach of kids. 

If you have any questions or are unsure of what to do, feel free to give our knowledgeable team a call-anytime at 833.655.9200.

Safety Disclaimer: 

You assume all responsibility and risk for the use of the safety resources available on or through this web page. Puck Enterprises does not assume any liability for the materials, information, and opinions provided on or available through this web page. No advice or information given by Puck Enterprises or its employees shall create any warranty. Reliance on such advice, information, or the content of this web page is solely at your own risk, including without limitation any safety guidelines, resources, or precautions related to the installation, operation, maintenance, or repair of Puck Enterprises or BullDog Hose Company equipment or any other information related to safety that may be available on or through this web page. Puck Enterprises disclaims any liability for injury, death, or damages resulting from the use thereof.