Aaron Yoder and Daniel Kent (MYSM ’17) successfully finished teaching another round of Tractor Safety and Hazardous Occupations classes across Nebraska this summer.
Yoder said the course went "very well" and was reported on by a TV station and several news publications, including being picked up by the AP.
Offered through a partnership between UNMC and Nebraska Extension, the course is taken by 14- and 15-year-olds to earn a certification permitting them to drive tractors and operate specific mechanized equipment. The certification allows them an exemption from the federal law prohibiting youths under age 16 from working on a farm for anyone other than their parents or legal guardians.
Besides tractor hazards, the course also addresses safety issues like heat, thrown objects, electrical lines, livestock, grain bins, chemicals and loud noises.
An article and TV video about it can be viewed here: http://www.theindependent.com/news/local/area-youths-receive-tractor-safety-lessons/article_14575a82-66a4-11e7-a680-5b8949f5a3a2.html