Farm Safety for Young Children Accidents kill more children than
disease, kidnapping, and drugs combined. Each year, an estimated
300 people under age 19 die and approximately 24,000 (65 every
day) are seriously hurt on our nation’s farms. The rate of death
is higher in agriculture than in mining, construction, or the
timber industry, and children who live on farms may be exposed
to dangers 24 hours a day. In Iowa, at least one out of every
eight-farm injuries is to a child. The most common causes of
these injuries are from slips and falls, animals, farm
machinery, and all-terrain vehicles. Children are vulnerable to
many of the same hazards as adults who live or work on farms,
but they are far less capable of understanding those hazards.
Although parents cannot completely childproof a farm, they need
to make it as safe as possible. Here are ways to minimize
exposure to common farm hazards for children under age eight,
and several good safety practices that will provide back-up
protection for them. On the ins