Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- September 18, 2007
Farm Safety and Health Week calls attention to kids and machinery hazards (:49)
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Suggested Intro:
PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR ED RENDELL HAS JOINED THE NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL IN PROCLAIMING THIS AS FARM SAFETY AND HEALTH WEEK. A SAFETY SPECIALIST IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES SAYS THIS YEAR'S EMPHASIS IS KEEPING KIDS SAFE ON THE FARM. CHUCK GILL REPORTS:
Story:
(:09) THE THEME OF FARM SAFETY AND HEALTH WEEK -- "IT'S EASIER TO BURY A TRADITION THAN A CHILD" -- TAKES AIM AT THE CUSTOM OF KIDS OPERATING MACHINERY ON FAMILY FARMS.
(11) MOST FATAL FARM INCIDENTS INVOLVE TRACTORS. BUT PENN STATE FARM SAFETY SPECIALIST DENNIS MURPHY SAYS ANOTHER PIECE OF MACHINERY THAT PRESENTS HAZARDS TO CHILDREN IS THE INCREASINGLY POPULAR SKID-STEER LOADER:
Murphy Actuality:
(:17) "A SKID STEER IS RELATIVELY SMALL COMPARED TO OTHER FARM MACHINERY, AND SO IT LOOKS LIKE ANYBODY WOULD BE ABLE TO OPERATE IT. BUT IT REALLY DOES TAKE SOME EXPERIENCE AND PRACTICE AT OPERATING THEM SAFELY. AND IT'S WHEN TWO KIDS GET AROUND THAT THINGS CAN HAPPEN. WE'VE HAD YOUNG BROTHERS RUN OVER THEIR BROTHER BECAUSE THEY WERE BOTH TRYING TO SORT OF PLAY AROUND WITH THE SKID STEER."
(:12) MURPHY SAYS FROM 2000 TO 2004, 135 PEOPLE DIED IN FARM-RELATED INCIDENTS IN PENNSYLVANIA, AND 26 OF THOSE VICTIMS WERE AGE 14 OR YOUNGER. FROM PENN STATE, I'M CHUCK GILL.
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