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Chapter 1 — Safety is No Accident

Objectives

Youth will:

  • be able to identify major causes of farm injuries.
  • understand the importance of safety in preventing farm injuries.
  • increase their knowledge of regulations regarding child labor laws and youthful operators of tractors and farm machinery.

Resource Materials

Safe Operation of Agricultural Equipment, student manuals
Current Wisconsin Farm-Related Fatality Report
Example news articles of farm-related fatalities
Tractor operator manuals
 

Video Resources

The Wake-Up Call, NAEDA
How to Have an Accident, University of Wisconsin
 

Activity Ideas

  1. Divide into small groups or remain a large group and list farm- related accidents or have youth read several examples of farm- related accident news stories.
  2. Have the group take the list of farm-related accidents and break it down into 3 categories - type of accident, resulting injuries and how the accident or injuries could have been prevented.
  3. Figure it Out
    Calculate an estimated cost of farm-related fatalities in Wisconsin.
    • What impact do these costs have on Wisconsin farms?
    • What impact to Wisconsin's agricultural industry?
    • What are effects to the individuals injured, their families and communities?
  4. Using the Tractor Rollover Reaction Ruler, have the youth assess their reaction level. Divide into groups depending on their reaction time.
  5. Discuss the federal child labor laws and jobs classified as hazardous.


Figure It Out

 Using the current farm-related fatality report, have the youth determine an estimate of the cost of injuries in Wisconsin.

An injury prevention model suggests that for every 1 fatality there are 42 hospitalizations and 1,120 emergency room visits*.

Given:

Average cost per fatality $ 780,000 **
Average cost of a hospitalization $ 39,000 ***
Average cost of an emergency room visit $ 500 ***

Calculate the estimated cost of farm injuries based on the farm-related fatality data.

Example: 1994 Wisconsin Farm-Related Fatalities = 31***

31 x $780,000 = $24,180,000
31 x 42 x $39,000 = $50,778,000
31 x 1,120 x $500 = $17,360,000
Total estimated costs = $92,318,000

The recent five-state Regional Rural Injury Study, which included Wisconsin, found 21 farm-related injuries for every 100 Wisconsin farms each year. These were injuries severe enough to require professional medical treatment, at least four hours of restricted activities, or loss of consciousness or awareness.

If there are 78,000 Wisconsin farms, calculate the number of farm-related injuries in Wisconsin each year.

78,000 farms in Wisconsin = 780 units of 100 farms
780 x 21 injuries per 100 farms = 16,380 injuries per year

Sources:

* Pyramid of Childhood Injury, A Data Book of Child and Adolescent Injury,Child Safety Network, 1991.
** Work injury costs, Accident Facts, 1994
*** Cost per injured person representing 1985 dollar value, Cost of Injury in the United States, 1989.
**** Total farm-related fatalities in Wisconsin for 1994,1994 Wisconsin Farm-Related Fatality Report.


 

Tractor Rollover Reaction Ruler

 Have the youth divide into pairs. Provide each pair with a rollover reaction ruler. Have one youth hold the reaction ruler at the top. The other youth starts by holding the thumb and forefinger of one hand about one half-inch away from the bottom of the ruler. Unannounced to the catcher, the person holding the ruler lets go of it. The catcher sees what their reaction level was for a potential tractor rollover. Switch so the other partner can check his/her reaction level. Repeat the process but this time have someone create a distraction.

For those who were "You're Okay- This Time!", make them the observers.

Those who were at "You Could Lose!", have them try simple tasks like tying their shoes with just their non-dominant hand or put on a pair of heavy socks and try to button shirts or zipper jackets.

Those who were at "You're Losing", have them attempt to spread peanut butter on a piece of bread or use a hammer to pound a nail into a piece of wood with just one hand.

For those who were too slow and caught the reaction stick at "You Lose" or didn't catch it at all, have them try to catch a nerf ball blindfolded or just sit there for a couple of minutes being still, like a statue.

Have the observers watch as the others attempt their tasks with the challenges presented as a result of a tractor rollover situtation. Were they able to do these tasks the same way? How well did they deal with the situations?

Discuss how an injury would impact upon their lives.
 

Checksheet Answers

    Answer true or false.

  1. False (page 1)
  2. False (page 2)
  3. False (page 1 & 2)
  4. False (page 2)
  5. True (page )

    Answer the following by placing the letter of the correct answer in the blank.

  6. A (page )
  7. C (page 1)
  8. C (page 3)
  9. B (page 3)
  10. C (page 3)