Lancaster farming. (Lancaster, Pa., etc.) 1955-current, July 16, 1994, Image 28

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    Coalition: More Needs To Be Done To Teach Kids Farm Safety
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
One fanner recalled a bam par
ty in which a boy slid across the
floor into a plywood hay hole cov
er. The plywood slid aside and the
boy plummeted head first to his
Shari Burgus, director of
program services for Farm
Safety 4 Just Kids, Earlham,
lowa, spoke at the Lancaster
County Coalition of Safe Kids
meeting on Monday night.
Burgus provided various
examples of ways in which
the local chapter can imple
ment a range of educational
activities, Including day
camps, with Information on
how to teach kids safety on
the farm. One of those Items
she handed out was a book
let, “Teaming Up: A Farm
Safety Walkabout For Kids,”
written in collaboration with
the Blue Cross and Blue
Shield of lowa and the Univer
sity of lowa.
Rotational
Grazing At
Field Day
OXFORD (Chester
Co.) On July 19,
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
the Lindenhof Farm on
Route 472 in Oxford
near southern Lancaster
County will host a field
day to showcase their
long-term grazing sys
tem.
Millie, Widmann and
Axel Linde own and
operate the 70-cow
Guernsey dairy farm.
The Linde’s have used
rotational grazing for
more than 40 years and
the herd is second in the
state for pounds of milk
production in the
Guernsey breed.
They have also de
veloped an extensive
and unique watering
system for their cattle
and have recently ex
panded their dairy fa
cility.
The Lindenhof Field
Day is sponsored by
Penn State Cooperative
Extension and Atlantic
Dairy Cooperative.
For further informa
tion, contact Leon Ress
ler at Lancaster County
Cooperative Extension,
(717) 394-6851.
Lunch will be avail
able to purchase on site.
death.
A nurse recalled treating a
13-year-old who survived a fall
through a similar hole, but endured
a long hospital stay from traumatic
head injuries.
A 4-year-old girl was riding on a
wagon when she fell off. breaking
vertebrae in her neck, nearly kill
ing her.
The list goes on.
Four years of age “is probably
one of the most dangerous ages for
children on the farm,” said Shari
Burgus, director of program ser
vices for Farm Safety 4 Just Kids,
Earlham, lowa. Burgus was
invited to speak to the Lancaster
County Coalition of Safe Kids
meeting on Monday night
Although four years of age is
statistically the most dangerous in
terms of death and severe injury
for children (because of their cur
iosity), the age of 14 can be just as
deadly. This is true because ado
lescents are given more responsi
bility and often aren’t supervised.
They’re still learning the ways of
the farm.
Burgus told the group of 3S far
mers, health professions, educa
tors, medical technicians, and
others at the meeting that 14-year
olds often feel “invincible.
“They are doing more activities
on the farm,” she said.
Burgus spoke about some of the
things that a group such as the Lan
caster coalition can do to help
promote safety. One such idea is a
“safety camp” that can review
aspects of safety for children in the
farm community including
Plain farms.
Linda Rebum, a registered
nurse in the trauma unit at Lancas
ter General, said that it is often dif
ficult to teach youngsters in the
Amish community. “It’s not that
(the parents) are neglecting the
children,” she said. “I just don’t
think that they have the proper
knowledge to present to them.”
Often, older children at a young
age are beset with the responsibili
ty to watch younger children on the
farm. “You can’t expect the 6- or
7-year-old (child) to watch the
HEAVY DUTY
HOOF TRIMMING TABLES
; SO%OSKk ,
~v : ~* * *
* 2 10-inch lift belts
• 3500 lb. axle with or without
brakes
- >* *<BWWWWBBBi mtKKKm#k¥ 1
THREE MODELS TO CHOOSE:
1. PORTABLE 2. STATIONARY 3. 3 POINT HITCH
Bbrkelman’s Wblding-i
RR 7, AYLMER, ONTARIO, CANADA NSH 2R6 1
2-year-old that’s how many of
these (accidents) happen. It
shouldn’t be that way.’’
Also, according to Rebum, one
year she helped treat sevdn patients
kicked by a mule. One involved a
4-year-old. One 7-year-old died as
a result of being kicked.
Farming, a dangerous occupa
tion by all statisitics, in general has
the highest rates of death and
severe injuries leading to disabili
ty, said Dr. Butch Wieland, Lan
caster General Hospital staff and
chairman of the farm safety com
mittee. Every year, 300 farm child
ren die in ag-related accidents in
the U.S., and 5,000 are severely
injured, often leading to perman
ant disability. In a Penn State study
conducted from 1985-1989, of 73
ag-related accidents, 14 fatalities
were under the age of 20.
• tool box for D.C. pump and
battery protection
• manure grate to keep work
area dean
(519) 765-4230
caster Coun
Four years of age “is probably one of the most dangerous ages for children on the
farm,” said Shari Burgus, director of program services for Farm Safety 4 Just Kids,
center. From left, William Sheehan, chairman of the coalition; Burgus; and Dr. Butch
Wieland, chairman of the farm safety committee.
• 12-year building experience
in die tables design •
• 2"x2" tube frame chute
* chute measures 75"x28"x
72" high
• 4” casters for cradle fold-up
• Two hydraulic cylinders for
extra stability
• fold away side gate
• removeable head board
• 45 min. video from
International Hoof Trimming
School of Canada
Delivery Available
Most accidents (54.6 percent)
are the result of tractors overturn
ing. with extra riders.
The coalition and other groups
strongly oppose extra riders on
tractors, because few, if any, trac
tors are made to support more than
one operator.
Other accidents involve harvest
ing machinery and related hazards
inherent to fanning.
Burgus provided various exam
ples of ways in which the local
chapter can implement a range of
educational activities, including
day camps, with information on
how to teach kids safety on the
farm.
One of those items she handed
out was a booklet, “Teaming Up:
A Farm Safety Walkabout For
Kids,’’ written in collaboration
with the Blue Cross and Blue
\ *
\ ; &
>' - >
•N. ' >
' t
*
< < 'Tv
1
' jS*'
HORSE STALL BARN
Let Our Experience Work For You
• Dairy Complexes And • Workshop And Machinery
Replacement Stock Facilities Storage Buildings
• Horse Stall Barns And Riding • Timber Column Buildings For
Arenas Light Commercial
S 4
AGRI — INC* Tho Construction Professionals
151 E. Farmersvllle Rd., Ephrata, PA 17522 ffflQSl
• (717) 354-4271
Serving The Agricultural Industry For Over 25 Years
Shield of lowa and the University
of lowa.
She told the group that the activ
ities worked very, very well and
got a good response.
William Sheehan, Lancaster
postmaster and chairman of the
local coalition, said that about
8,000 kids a year in this country
die from injuries. The goal of the
coalition is to prevent those
injuries.
"If you would stop and think
about it, if this were a disease, we
would be fighting an epidemic,"
he said. ‘ ‘And the cure is right here
in this room. It (involves) respon
sible adults who take the time to
see what we can do to save our
kids.”
“Education is key," said Bur
gus. "Anything we can do even to
prevent one injury is worth it.”
,‘V.
• ,\x
,■ ; ;MV^
I
■1 ? ‘
<v *
MEMBER