Farm safety course offered to youth
Hands-on training aims to reduce farm-related accidents
Robert Stevens
Managing editor
3-9-2017
EPHRAIM—The USU-Sanpete extension and local professionals are maintaining a tradition of teaching youth how to be safe while working on a farm.
“Many of the farms in Sanpete County rely on youth to provide much of the labor for their farm enterprises,” Kaden Hanks, Sanpete County USU extension marketing assistant said. “In addition, many more youth live next to and visit farms on a regular basis due to the rural nature of the county. Agriculture is one of the most dangerous industries in the nation.”
Hanks says to reduce the risk of agriculture-related injuries and death for youth in Sanpete County, a highly interactive hands-on community-based farm safety educational course was developed to recruit and train local youth about the dangers of agriculture work and how to reduce these risks while working on the farm.
According to Hanks, in this course, youth will learn about tractor safety and maintenance, fire dangers and how to use a fire extinguisher, pesticide safety, electricity, oil and gasoline fuel dangers, livestock safety, highway dangers, basic first aid, and ATV safety.
Hanks said, “The course includes some in-classroom study and testing, but much of the course will be hands-on demonstrations where the students will drive the tractor, use a fire extinguisher to extinguish an oil fire, and other activities.”
Youth will be taught by more than 15 experienced professionals, including Matt Palmer, USU extension Sanpete County director; Luke Freeman, Rocky Mountain Power; Devon Monroe and Chad Wade, Utah Parks and Recreation; and Kevin Bradshaw, Utah Highway Patrol.
“In 10 years of this Farm Safety Class, we have a 100 percent graduation rate and have certified almost 200 youth to work on farms and ranches safely,” Palmer said. “We know that this program makes a significant difference in the lives of the graduates by teaching important safety principles by involving students in hands-on demonstrations.”
This year’s youth farm safety course will be held on March 10-11 at the USU Extension
Office in Ephraim at 325 W. 100 North. The cost is $10 and participants are encouraged to pre-register by calling the USU Extension Office at 283-3472.
Classes will begin Friday, March 10 from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will resume on Saturday, March 11 starting at 9 a.m. and finishing by 4 p.m.
