**Vicki's Visit** [^1]

**Answer Key**

[Instructions]{.underline}

Compare your answer sheet to the answers and ideas listed in this key.

Discuss the answers and any differences of opinions with your friends
and the instructor.

Your ideas are important. Therefore, please don\'t mark additional
answers or change your answers. Your answers and the answers of many
other people will be studied and used to improve the exercise.

Question A

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  T       1\.   Kevin and Lindsey may not realize how many things can be
                dangerous for Vicki or other children who visit their farm,
                and may not understand all of the dangers to themselves.

  T       2\.   The farm has many areas of interest to Vicki. There are
                many things to look at and play with that she does not have
                at home.

  T       3\.   Parents often overestimate their children's ability to
                recognize and understand the safety hazards in their home
                and farm surroundings.

      F   4\.   Walt and Mary love and care about Vicki. They left Vicki in
                the care of their two children because they didn't fully
                realize the danger in doing so. They had work to do and had
                no other child-care arrangements.

  T       5\.   Children are fascinated with brightly colored tractors and
                see them as interesting things to climb on and explore.
                They love to pull levers and knobs and there are many of
                these on tractors and other farm machinery.
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Question B

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  T       6\.    It is very likely that Vicki could fall. Tractors have
                 large, steep steps for large people. Handholds placed for
                 adults are out of a child's reach. The operator's
                 compartment is high off the ground. A fall can result in a
                 serious injury or death, especially if the child's head
                 strikes metal machinery.

  T       7\.    Even if the tractor is not running, Vicki could shift it
                 out of gear or release the brake. Even a slight incline can
                 cause a tractor to roll backward or forward. As they looked
                 for Vicki, Lindsey or Kevin could be run over. Vicki could
                 be run over as she climbs down from the tractor.

  T       8\.    Many things in the shop could harm Vicki. These include
                 electrical wires, chemicals, fuels, large equipment, shop
                 tools, and falling objects or materials.

  T       9\.    Young children are often attracted to animals, especially
                 young animals like calves. Cows are very protective of
                 their calves. Cows with young calves will often charge and
                 attempt to butt and trample dogs, cats, or small children
                 who come near their calves. This is true even for cows that
                 are normally gentle when around farm adults.

  T       10\.   A fall from an unguarded grain bin or silo ladder is always
                 very dangerous. If he falls from even a few rungs up the
                 ladder Kevin could be seriously hurt. Falls from greater
                 heights almost always result in very serious injuries,
                 permanent disabilities (paralysis or a brain injury), or
                 death.

  T       11\.   Young children sometimes wander into woods and cornfields
                 and become lost. In such cases, many children have died
                 from exposure (hypothermia) when the temperature dropped
                 during the night. Wind, rain, and temperatures in the 60 °F
                 range can kill a child within a few hours. Ditches, creeks,
                 wells, cliffs, and highways are also hazards in such
                 situations.

  T       12\.   Ducks, frogs, and fish in ponds tend to attract young
                 children. Drownings often occur in farm ponds, even among
                 older children and adults who can swim. The ponds are often
                 murky, filled with plant growth, debris, and animal waste.
                 The banks of farm ponds are often steep, slick, and muddy.
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# Question C

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  T       13\.   Many places on the farmstead require close adult
                 supervision if children are to be safe. See the newspaper
                 clippings on page 8 of the problem booklet for some
                 examples. Do you know of other similar cases?

      F   14\.   It is not practical or necessary to prohibit children from
                 being on or visiting a farm. Safe places for children to
                 play can be arranged on a farm. Children can learn much
                 from living on or visiting farms. However, all farms have
                 many dangerous areas where children should not be allowed
                 to go without close adult supervision. Many farm jobs are
                 also too difficult and too dangerous for children.

  T       15\.   A properly placed fenced-in play area can be very safe
                 because it not only keeps the children in, but also keeps
                 farm machinery and animals out. The play area should be
                 easily visible and quickly accessible from the farmhouse.
                 Children who play in the area should be taught rules about
                 staying in the area and asking for adult permission before
                 going elsewhere on the farm.

  T       16\.   A walk-through tour of the farm can be very effective in
                 teaching children about hazards and how to avoid them. This
                 does not mean, however, that children are then prepared to
                 play on the farmstead without supervision. Walk-through
                 tours and talks with children about farm safety should be
                 ongoing and frequent as the children grow and learn. If the
                 teaching is done properly, as children mature, they will
                 become more capable of responsible self-supervised farm
                 work and play activities.

  T       17\.   A lockout mechanism, a ladder guard, or a removable bottom
                 section of the ladder can prevent children or other persons
                 who have no business climbing up a silo or grain bin from
                 doing so.

  T       18\.   Injuries from falling objects and materials are a major
                 hazard of farm work. Large objects that are leaned upright
                 against a wall should always be anchored to the wall to
                 prevent them from falling. A calcium chloride-filled
                 tractor tire and wheel, like the one that fell near Vicki,
                 can weigh from 900 to 1,200 pounds. If the wheel and tire
                 had fallen on Vicki, or anyone else nearby, it could have
                 crushed them to death.
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# Question D

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          1\.   The consequences often are severe, as can be seen from
                Marilyn Adams' statements and from the newspaper clippings.

          2\.   Farms present many risks to children who are unsupervised.
                Figure 1 on page 4 of the problem booklet depicts some of
                these risks. What are some other dangers to children who
                work or play on farms, especially when they are
                unsupervised?

          3\.   What are some examples you have observed or heard about
                where a non-farm child had a close call or an injury while
                visiting or working on a farm?

          4\.   Supervision, removing as many hazards as possible, and
                teaching children to recognize hazards and to stay away
                from hazardous areas, are all ways to reduce the risks of
                childhood injuries. The persons responsible for preventing
                farm injuries to children include the children's parents or
                caretakers, the persons who operate the farm, and any older
                children or adults who are present or working on the farm.

          5\.   One way that people can understand the injury risks for
                children on farms is to learn from others. That is why
                Marilyn Adams wrote her book. It is the reason the
                newspaper clippings are included in the problem booklet.
                What lessons have you learned from others in your community
                about how to prevent injuries to children who live on, work
                on, or visit farms?
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[^1]: This answer key should be used with the exercise problem booklet
    with the same name. The views expressed in this document are those
    of the authors and not necessarily those of CDC/NIOSH or the US
    Government.