Ten - Year Old Dies on Forklift

[pourfarmer]

They're exempt because they don't have 'payed' employees?

[TOM4CWB]

Farmaholic,

How often do you wear the safety belt in your tractor... when doing farm work in your farm yard?

We had this EXACT discussion on our farm... few people do wear them.

How many people get killed on ATV/Snowmobile/Horse accidents... that are just as much farm accidents as this one was?

[agstar77]

Does it matter? Public Road or not, why is a 10 year old operating a forklift?

[TOM4CWB]

AgStar,

He was physically capable... mentally trained... and doing chores.

Be honest... you never ran any farm equipment... before you had a 'license' to operate and do chores?

Mow Lawns,,, till gardens... haul garbage..

All on self propelled farm equipment.. with out safety belts... all of our lives as youth on our farms.

Stop Being Wing Nuts.

[sumdumguy]

Lifting pallets, bales, whatever, dangerous. Just saying, anything lifted in front of you can roll back. I heard a stat that said your neck breaks with only 45 pounds pressure applied to the top of your head.

[farmaholic]

Never Tom. But brought it up because they are in most equipment. We have an old 1978 JD4440 with them in. An old 1966 IH 3 ton still sees a wee bit of use around here...none in it. JD4020 one with a loader and one with a blade... no seat belts and I wonder if the cabs actually meet ROP standards? Just sayin. Sprayer, main tractors, Highway tractors, swather, combine all equipped, never wear them(except in highway tractors!!!).

At what age is someone physically and mentally mature enough to operate equipment...without a cell phone to distract them!!!

[grassfarmer]

mcfarms, I guess you missed the announcement yesterday when the Hutterites stated to the Gov. that they didn't want to be excluded from the legislation - they wanted to be treated like all other family farms.
Kind of ruins the conspiracy theory that they would go to court if they didn't get exemption.

Regardless it won't apply to them just like it wont to many family farms - because they don't have one or more employees.

[TOM4CWB]

Farma,

At 10... our 110JD was my main ride... I did absolutely everything with it! When we got the 140JD... we thought we had gone to heaven and back... HYDRO!!!

No safety belts. No roll cages... same today... if a garden tractor rolls... operator easily dies. Same as ATV Snowmobile... and horse accident.

This is a part of being a human being... especially on the family farm!!!

[TOM4CWB]

Then... there was the mini bikes... with the 4 hp engine... bolted in that generic frame... with the centrifugal clutch and chain drive... got the stripped bike for $20...

Do you know how many times

I SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD?

[furrowtickler]

Sad to hear , but at 10 years old? Sorry that's what brings this whole farm safety thing to a head.

[wmoebis]

Tom you said the coroner investigated accident and you were personally out there also, What was the cause of the accident? Nobody gets killed driving down a flat dirt road with or without a seat belt. There had to be a cause.
Just asking never herd real cause.

[TOM4CWB]

WM,

Opening up fresh wounds... is NOT my specialty.

I have visited this farm... they are wonderful people... who offered me 'the coat off their backs'... as I would do for them.

I was NOT involved in the investigation... just with a friend and the wake funeral prep he was involved with.

AS I stated above... we all could have died many many times over... it is fair to leave it at that... I hope!

Rest in peace... my friend... you died doing what you loved to do. Serving others.

What more can any of us ask for???