Progressive Agriculture Safety Day at Lambert School

According to the National Children's Center for Rural and Agriculture Health and Safety, about every 3 days a child dies in an ag-related accident. Every day 38 children are injured in an ag related accident, yet 80% of those injuries were not from working when the injury occurred.

For the past 22 years the Progressive Agriculture Foundation has trained hundreds of volunteers about agriculture safety and how to hold a Progressive Agriculture Safety Day in your community. Lambert School was the community that got to learn about ag safety this past Wednesday.

Participants included the K-12 and faculty. The curriculum provided by the foundation encourages hands-on activities so that everyone can learn and participate. The sections held in Lambert were ATV Safety with Ken Nelson from MSU Extension. He discussed how to properly fit to the ATV, wearing the right helmet, and how the machines work. Tim Fine from the Richland County Extension Office taught about chemical safety with a chemical look-a-like station. He quizzed the students to guess which were household and farm chemicals vs. poisonous ones. Also from the Richland County Extension Office was Josie Evenson talking about Fire Safety. The students practiced what to do in a fire emergency and how to stop-drop-and-roll away from a fire and if your clothes or yourself are caught on fire. In the first aid station, Andy Carda from the Richland County Ambulance Service spoke about what to do if you have an accident and need to take care of a wound. Then they practiced bandaging a wound. Julie Goss from the Richland County Soil Conservation District brought an erosion and water trailer that is set up to show how water can erode soils away from banks. The students were taught where homes should be constructed, how grass and shrubs can help with streambank erosion, and how flowing water can erode roadways and bridges if not properly constructed. Linda Bengochea presented what to do if you are stuck in a blizzard and how to prepare for winter by wearing the proper winter gear and putting together a winter survival kit. Shane Keller from Nortana Grain demonstrated how grain moves causing someone to become immobile which can only take 5 seconds, and ultimately "drown." Students tried to lift a submerged object, showing the powerful weight grain can have.

After the classes went through the small scale rotations, they were broken up into two large groups to view the demonstration from the Lower Yellowstone REA. A trailer held a powerline display that was able to portray what can actually happen if you touch power lines. They discussed what to do if you come across downed power lines, or if you run into one with your vehicle. They also showed us why it is important to stay in your car if this happens.

Don Smies from the Richland County Health Department Injury Prevention Program, spoke to the older students about roadway safety and had them try an obstacle course with goggles that assimilated being intoxicated. He also spoke to the younger classes about bike safety and hand signals to use. They were properly fitted with bike helmets.

The final speakers came from the Richland County Sheriff's office. Sidney Police Officer Keller, and MHP Obergfell came to talk about gun safety and the dangers of texting and driving. Not only texting and driving but distracted driving in general. Obergfell stressed heavily about the consequences an accident can be, not only for you, but for your family and friends.

At the beginning of the program, all of the students, volunteers, staff, and speakers were given t-shirts provided by the Progressive Agriculture Foundation. The foundation also provided insurance for the safety day and take-home bags that were filled with donated items from local business: Nortana, The Lions Den, LYREA, Stockman Bank, Seitz Insurance, Lambert FFA, the Lambert school, MSU Extension, Richland County Health Department, and the Fort Peck Youth and Family Activities Committee. The Lambert FFA held a supper fundraiser at one of the basketball games to raise money for each student to have a first-aid kit and bike helmet.

The Progressive Agriculture Safety Day program is the largest rural safety and health education program for children in North America. Their mission is to provide education and training to make farm, ranch and rural life safer and healthier for children and their communities.