Nebraska Extension continues the Annual Tractor Safety course

Nebraska Extension continues the Annual Tractor Safety course
May 16th, 2022 | Nebraska Extension

Annual “tractor safety” training courses are scheduled at 6 sites across Nebraska, May 25 through June 10, 2022. This certification course is designed to train students how to avoid common tractor and equipment related hazards.

Federal law prohibits children under 16 years of age from using certain equipment on a farm unless their parents or legal guardians own the farm. However, certification received through the course grants an exemption to the law allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to drive a tractor and to do field work with certain mechanized equipment.

Teens 14 or 15 years of age who work on farms, or others who are interested in learning about safe farming practices, are encouraged to register for the course.

Students will: 

  • Register for their driving exam date (Tractor and Equipment Safety Course for Young and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers), which costs $25, and
  • Register to complete the Hands-On Safety Day (or opt to complete the Online Module) prior to completing the driving exam. Individuals can opt to attend just the Hands-On Safety Day but will not receive certification.

Once a student is registered, they will be sent the course materials and online module link (if applicable). The $25 fee for the driving exam will be collected on site the day of the exam.

The onsite driving training and exam will include a driving test and equipment operation and ATV safety lessons. Students must demonstrate competence in hitching and unhitching equipment and driving a tractor and trailer through a standardized course. Instructors will also offer education about safe behaviors and laws for ATVs, utility-task vehicles (UTVs), and other off-road vehicles (ORVs).

These trainings are sponsored by Nebraska Extension and the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health.

For more information contact Ellen Duysen at ellen.duysen@unmc.edu.

Share:

© 2024 Nebraska Rural Radio Association. All rights reserved. Republishing, rebroadcasting, rewriting, redistributing prohibited. Copyright Information