March 12-18 is Canada’s Ag Safety Week. This year’s theme is Be an AgSafe Family. Being a 5th generation farm and having a family ourselves, needless to say, we do a lot of farming activities together as a family. Wether it be during seeding, harvest, working cattle, or just out on the range, the kids are always with either my husband or myself.
Here are some tips we use on our farm to keep our kids safe:
- When the kids are with us in the side by side or in the buddy seat of the tractors, they know they have to wear their safety belts.
- When there is equipment coming in and out of the farm yard, the kids know they have to stay in the house yard.
- When we are out with the animals, the kids know not to get into the bull pen by themselves.
- The kids know not to go in with the animals by themselves.
- All their farm clothes are bright colors and they know to wear them.
- Everyone on the farm realizes there are kids around and they look out for them all the time.
According to the Alberta Farm Safety website, Agriculture ranks as Canada’s third most hazardous industry. For children age 14 and under, 41.9% of fatalities were from machine run-overs.
One way to help prevent a child from being run-over (not only by farm equipment, but even personal vehicles) is by being able to see the child. When we are out working our 5 year old enjoys wearing her Lil Worker Safety Gear Lil Viz Vest.
The Lil Viz Vest is a high visibility vest made just for kids. It has 3M Scotchlite Reflective Materials on it, so even at night, you can still see her. The bright colours are great to spot her. The material it’s made of is stretchy and mesh, so it can fit over snowsuits, or be cool enough to wear over a t-shirt in the summer.
Our daughter loves wearing her Lil Viz Vest, that now when we are around the equipment, SHE reminds ME that she needs to wear it! I definitely feel better knowing that when she is around the equipment she is easy to see.
The Lil Viz Vest and other high visibility clothing for children is available to purchase online at Lil Worker Safety Gear. The Lil Viz Vest comes in sizes from 18 month to Youth size 7 and 3 colours–High Viz Orange, Yellow & Pink.
I am a member of the Lil Work Crew and was provided with a Lil Viz Vest. All opinions are my own.
We get the kids involved and make sure they know everyone (not just the family) who works on the farm and feels comfortable with them. They’re 2 & 4, so they make sure to say they’re greetings and goodbyes so we know when we need to take extra care. By keeping them involved, they’re consistently educated on what is okay and what’s not. They brighten everyone’s day and we’d like to keep it that way.
Great idea to have a vest! We make sure the kids stay in the house yard too when machinery is in and out of the field
I bought 2 fleece jackets for my 2 grandsons. They both love to wear them and their parents get asked where they came from. A really worth while purchase!