Humboldt’s 7th annual Progressive Agriculture Safety Day took place on Oct. 7 with eight presenters talking to 160 students about everything from animal safety to poison safety to fire and water safety.
Grades 1-4 from Humboldt Public and Muenster Schools learned about the different safety concerns when on the farm.
“Kids are sponges when they’re little,” says Tracey Shewciw with Safe Communities Humboldt and Area, who organized the event, “It’s also getting that culture of safety right from when they are little to have that basis of safety in their mind.”
This way, when they grow up to be adults, they’ll have that foundation of injury preventions in their minds.
It’s really important for students to get this information, since Humboldt is such an agriculture heavy area.
“We’re very fortunate to offer this to our students. There are a lot of students around the country and around the province that don’t get this education,” she said.
David Mortenson with Humboldt Emergency Services instructed the students on proper 911 use, like how to talk to a dispatcher and showed them the ambulance equipment.
“The whole idea here is to get them used to it and understand that there are dangers out there but not to be afraid,” Mortenson said. “They know that when an ambulance or fire truck or police show up that they are there to help you and not to be scared of them.”
Mortenson also showed the students some basic first aid.
The students learned how to put pressure on wounds, what to do with burns, and what to do with broken bones.
Owen Wickenhauser with Hergott Farm Equipment was there to talk to students about tractor and PTO safety.
“There are many deaths on the farm every year and a lot of them happen way too early and a lot of them could have been prevented,” said Wickenhauser. “Safety on the farm, if it’s produced for the kids, it could help save a life.”
Shewciw is very thankful for the eight volunteers who came to help and the Safety Day sponsors - Sask Milk, PotashCorp and Farm Credit Canada - and Humboldt Public School for hosting the day.
