32 students complete tractor safety class
A total of 32 male and female students in ages from 12 to 15, from the central Wisconsin area, successfully completed a 24 hour course on tractor and machinery safety this past week from June 14-17 at Colby High.
Instructors from the course were Ms. Pearson Rogowlski, agriculture instructor from Colby, and Mr. John Slipek, agriculture instructor from Abbotsford.
The 24 hour course included classroom instruction, a written test and an actual driving skills portion.
The classroom portion included instruction on the safe operation of tractors and machinery in the field and on public roads.
It also covered discussion on safety involving many potential hazards on the farm, including animals, chemicals, electricity, grain bins, fires, recreational vehicles, manure storage and more.
Accidents can happen on the farm to workers of any age, but the risk of young operators getting hurt is higher because of their age, inexperience, reaction time, knowledge and the changing environment.
This course included instruction on many farm situations that can result in a serious accident, including operating farm equipment in the field, or on a highway, working with farm animals such as dairy cattle and livestock, working with pesticides and chemicals, working around grain bins and manure pits, being around electrical outlets and motors, using ATVs and UTVs on the farm and the importance of knowing at what age certain work can be peformed on the farm in a safe manner.
The written test included 50 multiple choice questions on material covered during the week, which required a passing grade of 70 percent. The driving portion included each student driving a tractor and two wheel implement through a course where they had to stop and watch for vehicles, change gears using the transmission and back the vehicle up into a parking space.
The tractors and implements were donated by Cherokee Garage of Colby for the students to use.
Federal law requires that individuals between the ages of 12 and 16 who work on a farm have this training, and upon successful completion of this class, be awarded a certificate allowing them the opportunity to work on their parents’ farm or another farm.
Most schools in Clark County offer this course as part of their summer school lessons.
