By Nigel Maxwell

Shining a light on farm safety

Apr 26, 2018 | 5:00 PM

Elementary students from northeast Saskatchewan have learned the do’s and don’ts when it comes to how to act on the farm and the consequences of not paying attention around farm machinery.

On Thursday, Bunge Ltd. hosted the first annual Farm Safety Day at the Nipawin Evergreen Centre. Nearly 400 students, Grade 4 to 6, were brought in from the Nipawin, Choiceland and Carrot River areas. Safety Coordinator Jim Harper said they had 19 booths set up covering a range of topics from eye protection to lawnmower safety.

“Everyone knows [lawnmowers] can discharge stuff if they run over stuff that’s been left over winter, and there’s quite a few hazards around [the farm.],” he said.

Other featured displays talked about what to do if caught in a grain bin, how the jaws of life work, the importance of wearing a helmet while riding a quad, and also how to approach farm equipment.

“The bigger the vehicle, the larger the blind spots and you just can’t run up and wave at mom or dad in the vehicle. You want to make sure mom or dad actually sees you face to face,” Harper said.

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James Tschetter, 14, from the Star City Colony said he really enjoyed all the displays.

“Farm safety is really important because you need to know about the dangers on the farm and where you can get caught,” he said.

Tschetter said he thought the most informative discussion he heard was about how to use a fire extinguisher.

“You’ve got to know where to use them, where to aim, and what to do,” he said.

nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell