Farm Safety

In Alberta, there are an average of 3 deaths among children and youth that happen each year as a result of injuries on the farm.¹

In rural Alberta, it is common for children to live, work, and play on the farm. Farming is an important job, but it can also be a very dangerous one.

Of the children who died, 88% were not working but were within the area where work-related activities were taking place. Farms can be hazardous, but by implementing injury prevention strategies, farms can be a wonderful place for children to live and grow.

There are things you can do to keep kids on the farm safe. Key strategies to promote farm safety among children include the following:

1. Children do not have the same strength, knowledge, experience, coordination, or control as adults. Children may not be able to fully understand the risk of the activity they are doing. Ensure children only perform activities that are within their limits. Guidelines have been developed to help parents and caregivers provide age appropriate farm work. Access the Ag Youth Work Guidelines for more information.²

a. According to the Ag Youth Work Guidelines, appropriate farm work for children ages 10-11 years may include the following:

i. Feeding hay to cattle, working with pigs and poultry
ii. Hand weeding
iii. Picking rocks

b. In order to engage in farm work, children ages 10-11 years must be able to demonstrate / have the following:

i. The ability to bend and lift safely
ii. Carry materials without physically straining
iii. Attention span long enough to complete work
iv. Recognize a hazard, problem solve, and respond appropriately
v. Maintain two-way communication with an adult

c. It is also important that children who work on the farm wear long sleeve shirts and pants made of comfortable, breathable material. Avoid loose strings, loose hair, or any other object that could pose an entanglement issue.
d. Lastly, the type of supervision for children ages 10-11 depends on the work activity the child is doing - see the specific guideline for more information. Key points for supervision include the following:

i. An adult should oversee the child’s work activities at all times
ii. Monitor children for fatigue
iii. Provide more frequent rest periods
iv. Monitor children’s work, and correct any unsafe behaviours. Always model correct behaviour

2. Safe areas for children to play in should be fenced, and free from all hazards. Hazards that can be found on farms include:

a. Water hazards such as irrigation ditches, and dams, dugouts and lagoons. Children can drown in very small amounts of water and should never play in these types of bodies of water.
b. Heavy machinery like tractors and turbines
c. Grain wagons
d. Siloes
e. Fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals
f. Loud noises
g. Large livestock

3. Explain to children that farm machines are not toys. Farm machines are dangerous, and children should not play on or near heavy machinery.

a. Always lock or remove the key from farm machines when not in use
b. Do not allow children as passengers on farming equipment, like mowers, tractors, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs, quads), grain wagons or truck beds

4. Visitors to the farm may not be aware of the hazards present on the farm. Ensure that they understand the hazards on the farm and that visiting children know where it is safe to play.