Safety training for summer farm jobs

Hazardous Occupations Safety Training in Agriculture training (tractor safety) will be handled via a home study option this year due to COVID-19. It is federal law that any youth 14 or 15 years old who will operate a tractor, work with livestock or do other qualifying farm labor for someone other than their parent is required to pass this training to be legally employed. There is both a written test and driving skills evaluation requirement. If this applies to you, please contact your county extension agent, agriculture and natural resources, to register and obtain class materials.

This training covers many areas of farm safety including safety basics on the farm, working with livestock, using pesticides and chemicals, grain bins, anhydrous ammonia, tractor safety, using power takeoff, and operating skid steers and all-terrain vehicles. The home study format is not ideal for youth or even for the instructors, but it is our only option to meet the legal requirement this year. If you complete the requirements this year, you are good to go for any future legal requirements. However, if you would like to participate in the classroom and visual instruction that is part of our “normal” tractor safety training next year, you will be allowed to do so without the testing requirements.

Please contact your county agent as soon as possible, especially before you start work this summer.