*Korner 4-H’ers Review Farm Safety At Annual Lebanon Event ANDY ANDREWS Editor LEBANON (Lebanon Co.) 4-H Farm Safety mem bers and leaders gathered here at the Lebanon Expo Cen ter last week to learn about a lot of things. One, tractors and all-terrain vehicles, or ATVs, can overturn easily on slopes or steeply graded hills. Another, even horse and buggies have to have the safe ty orange triangular shield on the back, otherwise known as the slow-moving vehicle, or SMV emblem. Mark Kennedy, Middletown, demonstrates proper lighting and SMV marking during the countywide farm safety night. Josh Burkholder uses a model tractor to demonstrate a potentially fatal rollover acci dent. Pete Hanson, right, hands out free fire extinguishers to each household at the recent countywide farm safety night. Still another, if you don’t have a lifeline attached to you and you’re working in a grain bin, within 20 seconds you could get buried and soon suffocate. Having the proper equipment, using it properly, and knowing common-sense safety procedures were the high lights of the annual Countywide Farm Safety Night last week at the Lebanon County Exposition Center. Del Voight, extension agent, was the chair of the event. Funding for the program, which included a free fire extin guisher to every family, came from a Pennsylvania De partment of Agriculture Farm Safety Grant, according to Voight. The grant total, $2,500, helped pay for powder, or ABC, Amerex fire extinguishers from Messick’s. Also, several 4-H members were given awards during a tractor certification course conducted the previous Satur day at the fairgrounds. Pete Hanson, Palmyra, 4-H leader, noted that the cer tificate for driving a tractor is not a driver’s license. To get the certificate, 4-H’ers also had to do a demonstration at the farm safety night. Demonstrators included Mark Kennedy, Middletown, with proper lighting and SMV marking; Josh Burkholder, rollover demonstration with model tractor; Jared Bal sbaugh and Brad Wenger, grain bin safety using a porta ble drill with a bit as an auger and a model bin setup; Tom Bomberger, proper hitching; Steven Martin, proper starting of tractor and the importance of staying away from bypass starting; and John Donmoyer, 3-point hitch hookups. Steven Martin won a special recognition for scoring in the tractor-driving contest for his age division. Derek Cibik and Samuel Thomas highlighted the im portance of rollover protection systems, or ROPS. Ryan Weidman and Brandon Wenger demonstrated how to get a tractor out of the creek. Nathan Brandt provided an SMV sign demonstration. Brandt noted an SMV cannot be used for any other reason, must be displayed on any towed SMV tractor, and that farmers should replace the SMV sign if it is faded. Brandt was awarded the tractor driving recognition from the previous Saturday’s contest at the fairgrounds. Hanson, who handed out the extinguishers, noted that the ABC-type extinguisher is good for any type of fire, in cluding trash, wood, liquid fuels, or electrical. “For $22 apiece, it’s cheap insurance,” he said. The extinguishers have a one-use life, with a shelf life of about seven years, but can be recharged. He explained the 30 seconds of firefighting power they provide can be instrumental in saving thousands of dollars. However, the dry powder can rekindle, so water needs to be applied. He suggested an investment in a refutable, pressurized water extinguisher as weU. “When using the extinguisher, pay attention,” said Hanson. “Use your head.” Tom Bomberger, background, reviews proper hitching of tractors, while others wait to dem onstrate additional farm safety techniques. Steven Martin dem onstrates proper trac tor starting and the importance of staying away from bypass starting. Ryan Weidman, left, and Brandon Wenger demonstrate how to get a tractor out of the creek. All photos by Andy Andrews, editor Jared Balsbaugh, left, and Brad Wenger demonstrate grain bin safety using a portable drill with a bit as an auger and a model bin setup at the countywide farm safety night in Lebanon. Children watch as farm safety is demonstrated in Leba non recently. tP 8
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