An area getting increased attention is the risk factors associated with the different age groups on the farm. Another study shows that workers 55 and older account for one-half of all deaths in farming, with a fatality rate 2.5 times higher than workers under 55. Several initiatives and programs in Delaware and across the nation educate farm youth and parents about safety and health issues. One new program was initiated after surveys indicated that parents assign chores based on intuition and the age at which the parent first performed a task. The key to injury prevention is matching a child's developmental capabilities and level of adult supervision with a task.
Parents now have guidelines and a developmental checklist to assess a child's readiness for the job.
Delaware also is reviewing safety issues that involve working farmers and farm workers with disabilities. Disabilities can range from amputation or arthritis to orthopedic, respiratory or circulatory. The Delmarva Agrability Project will assess the workplace and introduce assistive technology to help farmers continue to farm safely and productively. Safety is a decision you make, and the rewards of those decisions are measured in happy and healthy lives.