Farm kids learn to play it safe
BY MARY MACARTHUR
CAMROSE BUREAU
PINE LAKE, Alta. — Rebecca
Wozniczka came to the day- long
camp on farm safety because her
mother thought it would be a good
idea.
By the end of the day, Wozniczka
was glad she came. Even though she
live § on a farm § hg never realized
there were so many hazards.
She admits to riding in the tractor
bucket and going " full out" across
the field on the all- terrain vehicle,
things she now knows can lead
straight to accidents and death.
Awareness and a second thought
before roaring across the field on an
all- terrain vehicle is all Al North was
hoping for when he volunteered to
talk about the increasingly popular
farm vehicles.
" If you can plant a few seeds,
that's so important," said North,
who sells ATVs from his Scottsville
Sports store in Red Deer.
North said he tries to tell it
straight to parents and children that
ATVs are dangerous machines. PeoPLE
GET KILLED EACH YEAR BECAUSE THEY
drive too fast, don't wear safety
equipment or do foolish things.
" I love selling them, but I would
sooner sell with the aspect of safety
behind it than just selling it. I try to
educate the parents when they
come in with the kids."
North said he tries to make it clear
if buyers can afford an $ 8,000 machine
they can afford to spend a few
WP photos by Mary MacArthur
John Dyck teaches the basics of firearm safety.
extra dollars on proper safety
equipment.
After listening to North, Megan
Dreeshen vowed to wear the helmet
gathering dust on the shelf the next
time she rides the ATV.
It isn't cool to wear a helmet, said
Dreeshen, of Pine Lake: " None of
the kids my age wear them."
But that was before she learned of
the growing number of bike accidents.
" I didn't think there were so many
ATV accidents. It's kind of scary, all
the accidents."
Dangerous equipment
It's not just the ATV statistics that
have Dreeshen shocked. It's the poisonous
chemicals in the shed, and
the grain augers which can rip off a
leg in seconds, or the livestock or
equipment that can be dangerous.
" It's scary with all the close calls
on the farm."
Raising an awareness of farm accidents
was the goal of the first Kids
Farm Safety Day organized by the
Alberta Women's Institutes chapters
of Red Deer Centre, Red Deer
West and Innisfail.
Faye Mayberry said she got the
idea after reading about a similar
farm safety demonstration in
Ontario.
" We want the kids to become
aware of what is safe and unsafe
around them," said Mayberry, the
WI agriculture convener.
Teaching farm children about
safety is also a good way to get in the
back door to teaching their parents
to be more safe, she said.
" If we can teach them what's safe
then they'll develop a positive attitude
toward farm safety. They'll
take that message to mom and dad."
Mayberry isn't sure if the safety
day will become an annual event because
of the massive organization
required to bring together volunteers,
equipment dealers, firefighters
and farm specialists.
Instead of having an annual event
at Pine Lake, other WI branches
across the province may be able to
look at the model and repeat the
safety day in their area.
" I'd like to see us partner up with
various groups and businesses and
we can run the program across the
province."
FARM SAFETY FACTS
fingers and
thumbs are
the most
often injured
body parts.
Source: Staff research
There were 1,673 farm- related
accidents reported in Alberta in
1996. Some facts:
The most accident- prone month
is MAY. The least accident- prone
month is JANUARY.
The most dangerous days of the
week are > ATURDAY and
MONDAY.
Men are four times as likely to be
injured as women.
The riskiest age group is
Injuries involving
account for 38% of the total, while
injured another
33%.
The most frequent injury- causing
power tool on the farm is a
WP graphic by Michelle Houlden
Children are told about safety around tractors and bales.
