This is a very sad story. Another farm accident led to another funeral. My cousin Mike's son was buried Oct. 11, 1994. There was standing room only in the church, as well as outside, with every relative from all three prairie provinces, neighbours and friends from miles around attending.
This is becoming a too often occurrence, as most farm families will attest to. Accidents are plaguing the agricultural community. As I embraced cousin Mike, he said, "Why us? You know I have no tears left to cry with."
Years ago, as kids, Mike and I were best friends. We lived across the road from each other, played together and attended the same school. I was his best man at his wedding when he married Elizabeth. In due time, I moved to the city, hearing from time to time of Mike and his sons' success as farmers, selling their purebred Charolais cattle across the prairie provinces. They had a perfect family - two sons and one daughter. Both sons, university educated, farmed with their dad. What farmer doesn't dream of his sons farming with him?
A month before the funeral, in the heat of harvest, the two brothers were baling. A bearing overheated and smoke was coming from the baler chamber. In a split second decision, Sydney ran into the chamber, thinking to snuff out the flames. Richard ran for the tractor, thinking if he closed the chamber the flame would go out. It took only 30 seconds. Richard, realizing the situation, opened the chamber. Just then the harvest dust exploded, burning Sydney.
A helicopter picked up Sydney right from the accident scene and flew him to a Winnipeg burn unit for treatment. This was the first time in the history of the Winnipeg hospital that a plane was chartered to fly epidermis (skin) to New York to speed the growth, in a valiant attempt to save Sydney. During this time, Mike and Elizabeth were at Sydney's bedside to comfort him. Whenever Sydney would gain consciousness, he would scream with pain and lapse back into unconsciousness. There were moments of hope. Three days before Sydney died, he acknowledged his mother at his side. With three quarters of his body having second-degree burns, Sydney's kidneys gave out.
This horrific, shocking and sick story is repeated much too often on farms. Sydney's uncle lost his thumb in a farm accident. Three years earlier my brother, who farmed across the road from cousin Mike, lost his index finger to a hot jet of hydraulic oil and spent three weeks in Winnipeg General Hospital while neigbours did his harvest.
All the neighbours for miles around harvested cousin Mike's crop the fall of Sydney's death. The young city minister performing the funeral made mention of how the farmers unite in time of need.
Are we united enough to take action against today's high stress of consistently producing more and more, coupled with the huge tractors and combines that are taller than the range of bungalows. This tremendous force and power has no mercy and, more often than not, farm machinery is not built with safety in mind. Maybe the equipment companies can throw in a fire extinguisher and a book on safety.
What if all the farmers had to attend a safety course, sitting them down for as long as it takes, a month or two in the winter season, and go through the value of safety around machinery, teaching them safe working habits? Yes, you can get all farmers to attend. No first aid stamp on your grain permit, not permit. This would be drastic, take years and cost millions. What about the price we are paying in loss of life and suffering, and suffering of those left?
Years ago, I worked for the International Nickel Compnay in Sudbury, Ont. The first week of employment was a safety course - five eight hour days. Our instructor showed us what to do, what not to do, and if there was an emergency, how it should be handled. Accidents do and will happen, but can't we learn from past experience that action has to be taken to lessen the tragedy and suffering?
Another good example of safety first was at the Bi-Provincial Upgrader at Lloydminster. A four-hour safety instruction was given on the first day of employment. Employees were given a safety instruction book and told that if any rules were broken, out the gate they would go with their walking papers. At the height of the $2.4 billion project, the BPU employed 7,000 people and took two and one-half years to construct. Sadly, we did lose one man because of a fall. Could you imagine the confusion and mayhem if there were no safety instructions and rules?
We have been blessed in the Northwest this year. I have not heard of any serious accident. But, in my circle of friends there are too many farm accidents. I know of two teenagers. One lost a thumb while helping his dad cut feed. Luckily his fast-thinking parents picked up the mitt with his thumb in it and headed straight for a Saskatoon hospital. Thankfully, there was a happy ending and the thumb was reattached. In another accident, while checking the air pressure on a land scraper, a young man almost lost his hand. This happened two years ago and he is still undergoing surgery to make his hand more useful.
Can't we see a safety first program farm certified course is a must to lessen the accidents occurring on our farms?
Write to the Safety Council of Canada and write to your MP. Write someone. Do something.
Oh Sydney, let's hope you have not died in vain, for a split second decision. Which way are we going to turn - to the left or to the right?
