This document summarizes a youth tractor safety workshop hosted by Ohio State University Extension and Ohio Farm Bureau. Twenty-three youth attended the two-day workshop, which included classroom and hands-on sessions covering various tractor and farm equipment safety topics. On the second day, 14 youth took a written exam on safe tractor operation, demonstrated safe implement attachment, and completed an obstacle course, qualifying them for an Ohio Safe Tractor Operator Certificate. The workshop was designed to increase safe operating practices and certify youth ages 14-15 to legally operate tractors. Evaluations found participants learned an average of four new safety practices.

1. Bruynis, C.L.1; Jepsen, S. D.2; Mann, D.3
1 Assistant Professor & Extension Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Chillicothe, OH, 45601
2 Assistant Professor, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210
3 Lecturer, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210
EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES
Twenty-three youth attended the workshop. Workshop
evaluations indicated, that on the average, each participant
learned four new safety practices. Some of the learned safety
practices included:
• proper hand signals when operating a tractor
• knowing the color codes of the different knobs on a tractor
• understanding the center of gravity and how it affects tractor
stability
• learning how speed changes the center of gravity of a tractor
when turning
Pre-operational safety check by workshop participants • knowing how slope affects the center of gravity Maneuvering the obstacle course for a passing score
• learning that tractors are not exempt from highway laws
• tractor exhaust build-up in buildings can be deadly
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES • never allow someone to stand between the tractor and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This workshop was open to all youth ages 12 to 18 years implement when attaching an implement
OSU Extension appreciates Ohio Farm Bureau, Seneca
of age. Ohio State University Extension and Ohio Farm • how to recognize hazards such as pinch points and wrap
County for their financial support for the resource book
Bureau had two educational objectives for this workshop. points
and the food for the participants.
These objectives were: • knowing the difference between danger, warning, and
• To increase safe tractor operating practices among the caution hazards as defined by the appropriate decals
targeted youth audience. ABSTRACT
• To license those youth that were 14 and 15 years of age Fourteen youth returned for day two of the workshop. They all
to legally operate tractors for non-family members. passed the written exam with an average score of 81%. Youth, ages 14 and 15, wanting to operate machinery
Additionally, all of these youth participants satisfactorily for non-family members need to become certified in
completed the implement attachment demonstration and the safe tractor operation. The need for a training program
WORKSHOP DESIGN AND DELIVERY tractor obstacle course. Upon completion, these youth were was indentified through conversations with 4-H
issued an Ohio Safe Tractor Operator Certificate making them members and farmers in the region. Program
Day one was designed to teach basic safe tractor
eligible to operate tractors for summer or year around objectives were to provide tractor, equipment, lawn
operation to the participants. This was accomplished by
employment. mower and ATV safety training for farm and rural
dividing the day into nine breakout sessions. Youth
rotated between four classroom sessions and five hands- youth. The main curriculum used for this workshop was
on sessions completing all nine sessions. The session the National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation
topics were: Program Student Manual. Participants were required
• Ohio Laws and Regulations to complete self study 22 of the task sheets in the
• Tractor Stability and Center of Gravity student manual prior to attending the full day training.
• Symbols & Instrumentation The workshop consisted of five hands-on stations and
• Tractor Controls and Parts Identification four classroom sessions. Students rotated between the
• Operating Tractors and ATV’s on the Road stations and classrooms to learn and experience
• Operating Tractors within Confined Spaces different safety concepts and practices. Students
• Safe Operation of Tractor & Implement eligible to obtain their certification returned the
• Safe Implement Tractor Connections following week to take the exam, drive the obstacle
• Zero Turn Mowers and Skid Loader Operations course, and demonstrate safe hitching of an
implement. Several community partners collaborated
Day two was designed to test the skills and knowledge of in the planning and delivery of this workshop. Twenty-
the participants required to receive their Ohio certificate. three youth ages 13 to 17 attended the workshop.
This was divided into classroom testing of knowledge Evaluations indicated that participants learned, on the
followed by participants demonstrating safe implement average, four new safety practices by participating in
attachment and navigation of the obstacle course. the workshop. Fourteen of the youth returned for
Participants testing to receive their license were required certification testing and 100% of them passed all three
to self-study the National Safe Tractor and Machinery Demonstrating how to safely hitch to an implement sections of the certification test.
Operation Program Student Manual.