84-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 25, 1991
TAKING
Safe Summer For Our Child-
ren
Youth 5 to 14 years of age have
the highest rate of farm work
injury of all age groups. The 5- to
14-ycar-old age group is almost
two-thirds more likely to suffer a
work accident than the 45 to 64
year-old group.
These statistics remind us of the
hazards of farming for our child
ren. Most of these injuries are
related to tractor use, but our child
ren are also exposed to other
hazards.
Our school-age children have
been supervised in a classroom set
ting for the last nine months. Soon
they will be home with us. That
may mean that because of field
work or a spouse's employment,
they may not be supervised as
carefully during the summer as
they were during the rest of the
year.
For tractor safety, clearly the
best routine we can begin is to set a
rule for "No extra riders". Other
safety issues may also require new
routines.
Across the stale, school-age
children arc being expected to take
care of themselves for several
hours during the day. For those
children, your taking the time to
help them learn about safety is
important.
For instance, have you dis
cussed what your children should
do when a stranger comes to the
door. During the summer months,
utility company workers, sales
representatives, and delivery
trucks may slop by your farm. You
may be out in the field or on an
errand in town. You may not be
immediately available to handle a
situation.
Here arc some simple direc
tions. They may seem overly cau
tious, but they will make your
home and children more protected.
These are good skills that they can
use wherever they go!
1. Always answer the nhone or
door. You do not want people to
think that there is no one at home.
The stranger could be a burglar.
When answering, ask who it is and
what they need. Do not unlock or
open the door. Visitors and service
persons can come back later if it is
important.
2. Keep the conversation short.
The more you talk, the more they
know about you. Simply state that
your parents cannot come to the
door at the moment. "May I take
your name and a phone number? I
will have them call you." Do not
say you are alone.
3. Set times when an adult will
be back in the house, so the two of
you can keep tabs on each other.
Let each other know where you
plan to be, doing what, for how
long.
4. Review what your children
should do in case they become
injured. Children need to learn
basic first-aid. Show them where
band-aids, hydrogen peroxide, and
antiseptic creams are. Talk to them
about treating a bum.
Also discuss what to do for big
ger emergencies —a fire, a serious
injury. Do you have a 911 system
in your area? Use it.
5. Set rules about using
appliances, cooking, swimming,
watching TV, and playing rough
games.
Remember, a child may be inde
pendent enough to care for his or
her own needs but may not be
responsible enough to look after a
younger brother or sister.
In order to avoid a child becom
ing bored and wanting to investi
gate things that may be dangerous
(or wanting to "help" you with a
farming operation that would be
risky), give her jobs to do and build
Use Grill Without Getting Sick
often in May and October, while poultry to at least 180degrees?,or
the number of individual cases until the juices run clear,
tends to peak in midsummer —at •If using a microwave oven,
the height of the barbecue season, rotate the meat manually if there ij
The malady being described is no automatic rotation device. This
campylobacteriosis, probably the will help to insure uniform heat
most common cause of summer- ing. Use the temperature probe if
time foodbome illness and the you have one. For outdoor cook
major year-round cause of diarrhea ing, try to use a grill with a cover.
according to Dr. Mark A. Kan- • Thoroughly clean hands,
tor, food and nutrition specialist utensils, and surfaces that touch
for the Cooperative Extension Ser- raw meats. Don’t place cooked
vice University of Maryland meat back on an unwashed plate.
System. Do not eat uncooked food, such as
Contaminated food is the usual 00,0 d greens, that may be contami
cause, since direct person-to- na.ol with juices from raw meats,
person transmission is very rare, Never reuse marinade.
Kantor said. • Refrigerate or freeze cooked
As with all bacteria-caused meat and poultry within two hours
foodbome illness, Campylobacter- after serving—within one hour on
iosis is entirely preventable when a hot day when temperatures are
proper cooking and handling pro- above 90 degrees F. Keep your
cedures are followed. refrigerator at 40 degrees F or
Kantor recommends these steps: below. Remember that refrigera
• Thoroughly cook all meat, tion or freezing does not kill bac
poultry, and fish. Use a meat ther- teria. Only thorough cooking does
mometer if possible. Make sure that,
that interior temperatures of meat * Never taste-test uncooked
reach at least 160 degrees F. Heat meats.
COLLEGE PARK,
Md. When homeowners warm
up the grill for outdoor cooking
this summer, they could be sub
jecting themselves and their fami
lies to a mild case of preventable
foodbome illness if they don’t
observe commonsense food safety
precautions.
The symptoms probably will
include headache, abdominal pain,
and diarrhea. These symptoms can
occur anytime within two to 10
days after eating undercooked
chicken or other meat, including
fish. Large outbreaks occur most
a list of fun things to do when her
daily tasks are completed.
Children are special. They are
also vulnerable. Take some lime
before the summer arrives to pre
pare them for the times when they
may be alone. The whole family
will feel more comfortable know
ing they are safer.
Rebecca Wolf is a Home Eco
nomist with Penn State Coopera
tive Extension in Lehigh County.
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