Kids and Machinery

[Ian]

There was an accident today at the John Deere machinery plant in Welland, Ontario.

A teenage boy and girl were killed while visiting the factory. They were participating in a provincial educational program where parents could take their kids to work for a day.

At first report, something went wrong with a Gator demonstration, leading to the accident.

I know that all connected to this forum would feel shaken by this event.

Just think of how many more hazards are present in the average tractor (hydraulics, PTO shafts, mower blades, etc.)

This event happened in a factory, where there were people watching out for the kids. Think how much greater the hazards are on a rural property, where there is often no supervision.

You can't be too cautious...or too vigilant.

 

[PaulB]

Oh my god, how horrible. If you get details please post a link. Think I am going to log off now and hug my kids.

 

[MChalkley]

The complete story, such as it is at this point, is at http://www.canada.com/cgi-bin/cp.asp?f=/news/cp/stories/20001101/national-1376046.html. Apparently, the two teens were riding unattended in the Gator and it passed underneath the trailer portion of a tractor-trailer truck, with predictable results. I think the key word here, regardless of how it happened, is unattended.

MarkC

 

[Bird]

That really is a tragedy, but the first thing I thought of is the fact that I've never seen a Gator with a ROPS (do they make such?) The Kawasaki Mule has a roll cage and seat belts and wouldn't go under a tractor trailer.

Bird

 

[Billc]

Damn, that's awful. The kid's parents must be beside themselves playing 'what if'.

There is a family down the road from us. They are pretty rough. They have a 4 wheeler and kids, young kids. The parents let their kids (I guess the boy is maybe 10 or so and the two daughters are about 8 and 6) get on the 4 wheeler and zip up and down the road. The road isn't really all that buisy but still....anyway, the boy will drive and his two sisters will be clinging to the back. No helmet or shoes or anything, just shorts. He'll fly down the road. If he does loose control it's all over for them.

Shortly after we first moved here I was heading home on my tractor. I had my bucket down low. I have a tooth bar on my bucket as well. Those kids came around the corner going way too fast. The kid was in control of the 4 wheeler and I didn't come close to hitting them or anything but I did play what if in my head. I headed for their house. Told the father that the kids were up and down the road without helmets on. I just knew he'd get after his kids. How wrong I was. He told me to mind my own damn business. What a father-of-the-year candidate he's going to make.

 

[JerryG]

Billc,
For the kids sake, I hope your area has a law against 4 wheeler on the county roads. Where I live you are only allowed to have a 4 wheeler on the county roads if you are farmer going to or from fields and home. If you law is that way, call your local sheriffs Dept.
JerryG`

 

[MChalkley]

Billc - Of course, you didn't need to experience the father's attitude first-hand to know why the kids behave as they do...

MarkC

 

[Billc]

Jerry, guess I should call the Sheriff out. I've always been of the mindset that I have an obligation to give someone my opinion ONCE when I see them doing something that's not the smartest thing in the world. After that, they're on their own.

I did talk to the kids a few days later. They're nice kids. I told them some war stories about not using a helmet. Next day they were zipping down the road again without helmets.

I'm a big believer in personal choices and the responsibilities that go with them.

Mark, how right you are.

 

[MarkV]

Sad story here in the Atlanta area. Local group giving hay rides for the kids on Halloween and one child was run over by a tractor. Kids in the hospital ICU, don't know if he will make it.

 

[Bird]

MarkV, when we were traveling full time in an RV, we stayed and worked at an RV resort in Virginia beach a few months and they took kids on a hay ride every evening during the summer with a trailer towed by an old Ford tractor. The boss got a little annoyed with me because I wouldn't drive the tractor for that job. I told her the rig was far too unsafe, too easy to kids to fall off, no adult on the trailer unless parents decided to accompany their kids (which they rarely did). They got someone else to drive the tractor, but a couple of days later they did do some modifications to the trailer and started having a second employee ride the trailer to watch the kids so the tractor driver didn't have to do that, too.

Bird