MONROE - Don't take safety for granted, not just on the farm but anywhere in rural areas, says Alissa Grenawalt, coordinator of the Green County Tractor and Machinery Safety Certification course.
Grenawalt has been teaching farm safety for 11 years, and recommends all children get safety training. Unfortunately, the safety certification courses for farm equipment and ATV or four-wheelers focus on operators over 12 years old.
According to Grenawalt, Wisconsin is the only state that requires children ages 12 to 13 to be certified to operate a tractor on public roads, even if they are working on their parents' farm. Federal law requires children ages 14 to 15 to be certified to work on other farms.
Kaleb Erb, 12, son of Chris and Melissa Erb, Brodhead, was one of the students in the Green County certification program this spring, and he was practicing Monday for final tests at the Green County fairgrounds. Training included animal, lawn and garden, skid loaders and chemical safety, as well as rules of the road.
In general, the course "teaches you not to take risks," Erb said. "Take your time with stuff and not to rush."
Erb said he is now teaching his younger brothers, ages 8 and 6, and sister, age 9, some farm safety.
"My brothers like to ride on the (flat) fenders of tractors," he said. "I tell them not to ride on the tractors."
He's also telling them not to run after tractors.
Erb tried to get a job last year on a neighboring farm, not to drive tractors but rather as hand labor throwing small hay bales onto conveyor belts, but the farmer discovered Erb needed certification and he was too young to qualify for the course.
Insurance and liability are factoring into hiring practices on farms more now than in years past, Grenawalt said. Not taking proper safety precautions could cause financial loss, or even the loss of a family's farm.
"I don't want to lose my family's farm, (just) because I had to go over a PTO shaft to get it done quicker," Erb said.
As part of the program, students talk about real accidents, what happened and what could have been done to prevent them. Grenawalt said she has a binder full of local accidents, which helps bring the reality of danger closer to home for the students.
"We find more powered machinery on farms today," including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and four-wheelers, she said.
ATVs and four-wheelers are often considered recreational vehicles, but they are also used on farms to quicken and lighten work. ATV safety education certification is a separate training program, Grenawalt said, but riders should use the same safety rules.
"They are attractive," she said, "and you hear people saying 'they're a nice beginner piece of equipment.'"
ATV certification is required for all riders who are at least 12 years old and born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, but there is an exception for children age 11 or younger operating a small ATV.
Steven Dieckhoff is certified to teach ATV classes in Lafayette County. He said small ATVs are 90cc or less, but some children shouldn't be operating ATVs of any size, even on their parents' own property.
"They aren't physically built to operate them," he said. "Parents need to remember, (accidents) happen so fast, there's no time to react."
The risks of farm accidents, whether from large or small machinery, hit close to home April 9.
A 9-year-old Lafayette County boy received life-threatening injuries in a rollover ATV accident on private property northeast of Darlington. He was taken to Lafayette County Memorial Hospital and then taken by Med Flight to Madison, where he died the following day.
Assisted by sheriff's deputies and the Darlington Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources investigated the accident.
"The young man was on a hill side and rolled the ATV," said Catherina P. Nooyen, Recreational Safety Warden for South Central Region of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. "Our investigation found that there were no violations. Alcohol and speed have typically been the main contributors to ATV, snowmobile and boating injury or fatality accidents, (but) neither was involved in this case. Though the ATV being used was a 'full-sized' ATV, it was one of the smallest full-size ATVs made," she added.
"ATVs can be a very useful tool, whether it is being used for recreational or agricultural purposes," said Nooyen. "Safety should always be in the forefront of every operator's mind, but even the most cautious riders can be involved in an accident, and if that accident results in a death, it is a very tragic situation for family and friends.
And while not every accident is preventable, education can help reduce the risk in some cases.
"The best thing the public can do to reduce the chances of being involved in an accident is to enroll themselves and their family members in a DNR ATV Safety Course," she said.
Erb said he learned to operate a four-wheeler with his dad and was driving one at age 10.
But because of the Green County tractor and machinery safety certification course, he said he now knows there were risky things he shouldn't have been doing when he was younger.
"I used to ride on the tractor fenders - I used to, until about four years ago, when I heard about an accident," he said.
"And in the barnyard, feeding grass to the cows - don't do that anymore," he said. "Those cows with calves are protective."
Grenawalt has been teaching farm safety for 11 years, and recommends all children get safety training. Unfortunately, the safety certification courses for farm equipment and ATV or four-wheelers focus on operators over 12 years old.
According to Grenawalt, Wisconsin is the only state that requires children ages 12 to 13 to be certified to operate a tractor on public roads, even if they are working on their parents' farm. Federal law requires children ages 14 to 15 to be certified to work on other farms.
Kaleb Erb, 12, son of Chris and Melissa Erb, Brodhead, was one of the students in the Green County certification program this spring, and he was practicing Monday for final tests at the Green County fairgrounds. Training included animal, lawn and garden, skid loaders and chemical safety, as well as rules of the road.
In general, the course "teaches you not to take risks," Erb said. "Take your time with stuff and not to rush."
Erb said he is now teaching his younger brothers, ages 8 and 6, and sister, age 9, some farm safety.
"My brothers like to ride on the (flat) fenders of tractors," he said. "I tell them not to ride on the tractors."
He's also telling them not to run after tractors.
Erb tried to get a job last year on a neighboring farm, not to drive tractors but rather as hand labor throwing small hay bales onto conveyor belts, but the farmer discovered Erb needed certification and he was too young to qualify for the course.
Insurance and liability are factoring into hiring practices on farms more now than in years past, Grenawalt said. Not taking proper safety precautions could cause financial loss, or even the loss of a family's farm.
"I don't want to lose my family's farm, (just) because I had to go over a PTO shaft to get it done quicker," Erb said.
As part of the program, students talk about real accidents, what happened and what could have been done to prevent them. Grenawalt said she has a binder full of local accidents, which helps bring the reality of danger closer to home for the students.
"We find more powered machinery on farms today," including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and four-wheelers, she said.
ATVs and four-wheelers are often considered recreational vehicles, but they are also used on farms to quicken and lighten work. ATV safety education certification is a separate training program, Grenawalt said, but riders should use the same safety rules.
"They are attractive," she said, "and you hear people saying 'they're a nice beginner piece of equipment.'"
ATV certification is required for all riders who are at least 12 years old and born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, but there is an exception for children age 11 or younger operating a small ATV.
Steven Dieckhoff is certified to teach ATV classes in Lafayette County. He said small ATVs are 90cc or less, but some children shouldn't be operating ATVs of any size, even on their parents' own property.
"They aren't physically built to operate them," he said. "Parents need to remember, (accidents) happen so fast, there's no time to react."
The risks of farm accidents, whether from large or small machinery, hit close to home April 9.
A 9-year-old Lafayette County boy received life-threatening injuries in a rollover ATV accident on private property northeast of Darlington. He was taken to Lafayette County Memorial Hospital and then taken by Med Flight to Madison, where he died the following day.
Assisted by sheriff's deputies and the Darlington Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources investigated the accident.
"The young man was on a hill side and rolled the ATV," said Catherina P. Nooyen, Recreational Safety Warden for South Central Region of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. "Our investigation found that there were no violations. Alcohol and speed have typically been the main contributors to ATV, snowmobile and boating injury or fatality accidents, (but) neither was involved in this case. Though the ATV being used was a 'full-sized' ATV, it was one of the smallest full-size ATVs made," she added.
"ATVs can be a very useful tool, whether it is being used for recreational or agricultural purposes," said Nooyen. "Safety should always be in the forefront of every operator's mind, but even the most cautious riders can be involved in an accident, and if that accident results in a death, it is a very tragic situation for family and friends.
And while not every accident is preventable, education can help reduce the risk in some cases.
"The best thing the public can do to reduce the chances of being involved in an accident is to enroll themselves and their family members in a DNR ATV Safety Course," she said.
Erb said he learned to operate a four-wheeler with his dad and was driving one at age 10.
But because of the Green County tractor and machinery safety certification course, he said he now knows there were risky things he shouldn't have been doing when he was younger.
"I used to ride on the tractor fenders - I used to, until about four years ago, when I heard about an accident," he said.
"And in the barnyard, feeding grass to the cows - don't do that anymore," he said. "Those cows with calves are protective."