Teaching youth: Farm safety

Yellowhead County recently hosted a Youth Farm Safety day to teach local kids about identifying and managing farm hazards.

Yellowhead County and Wildwood & District Agricultural Society joined forces this year to cohost the Youth Farm Safety Day for junior high students on May 23, 2018. The event provided hands-on education on identifying hazards and promoting agricultural safety.

Working on a family or industrial farm has always had its inherent risks—from working long hours, to using heavy equipment and managing unpredictable livestock. Unsurprisingly, agriculture in Canada ranks as the third most hazardous industry—and those hazards can leave rural children vulnerable. That’s why Yellowhead County’s Agricultural Services department wanted to offer youth the knowledge to stay safe on farms.

There were 34 school children in attendance from Niton Junction and Wildwood who took part in the full-day event. The students were broken up into small groups and rotated through numerous educational stations related to: ATV safety; lawn mower safety, proper livestock handling and management techniques; utility safety, and rail and fire safety.

Yellowhead County and Wildwood & District Agricultural Society would like to thank the following organizations’ volunteers who presented to students: ATCO, CN Rail, Fortis Alberta; Yellowhead County Staff from Agricultural Services, the Fire Department, Protective Services and Parks and Recreation. Additionally, thank you to Martin Deerline for their contributions to the event.

Remember: Farm safety education is important for anyone who has grown up on a farm and may be dismissive or too comfortable with many of the day-to-day dangers of farming operations, or visitors who are unfamiliar with farm environments. We urge you to consider the farm hazards your family and friends may be unaware of and to take the time to educate and explain to them about why farm safety matters.