Previous Table of Contents Next

Chapter 8 — Why Farm Machinery Accidents Occur


Objectives

Youth will:

  • increase their awareness of the causes of injuries resulting from farm machinery accidents.
  • use the Farm Machinery Hazard Inspection Checklist to learn to identify hazards with farm machinery.
  • improve their understanding of how their behaviors affect the safe operation of machinery.
  • understand human nature and the need for hazard control.

Resource Materials

Safe Operation of Agricultural Equipment, student manual
Wisconsin Farm-Related Fatality Report,(most recent year)Wisconsin Center for Agricultural Safety and Health
Farm Machinery Hazard Inspection Checklist, Wisconsin Center for Agricultural Safety and Health
Self-Propelled Farm Equipment Hazard Inspection Checklist, Wisconsin Center for Agricultural Safety and Health
 

Video Resources

"Why Farm Machinery Accidents Occur", Agricultural Equipment Operator Safety Series, Iowa State Extension Service
"Accidents Last Forever", John Deere Consolidated Safety Video, Deere and Co.
 

Activity Ideas

  1. Review the Wisconsin Farm-Related Fatality Report used with Chapter 1 and look at the causes of fatalities with farm machinery. Review the list of types of farm injuries from Chapter 1 and have youth identify injuries that can result from farm machinery.
  2. Use the Farm Machinery Hazard Checklist with different types of farm machinery to learn to identify hazards. Have youth complete a checklist for their farm machinery at home. What would an estimated cost be to correct the hazards identified? Compare with the cost of an injury.
  3. Present a farm machinery accident situation to the group. Divide the total group for small group discussion. Change the information presented to each group to vary the outcome of the accident. Have the small groups identify the factors that lead to the accident and what should have been done to prevent the accident. Discuss the differences between the small groups and how those differences changed the outcome of the accident.
  4. Invite local medical personnel into the class to show slides of farm injuries.
  5. Have the group (or divide into small groups) give examples of doing something incorrectly, forgetting to do something, being in a hurry, working when tired, being under stress, being distracted from the task at hand or being preoccupied with something else. Show how each of these can result in or contribute to an accident and injury. Ask the group if anyone is perfect and never does these things. Discuss how this is part of human nature and why.


Checksheet Answers

    Answer true or false.

  1. True (page 80)
  2. True (page 79)
  3. True (page 81)
  4. True (page 84)
  5. False (page 82)

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

  6. C (page )
  7. A (page 83)
  8. C (page 79)
  9. C (page 83)
  10. C (page 79)