Annual tractor and equipment safety training dates set for late May, early June

Certification received through this 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.

Annual tractor and equipment safety training courses for youth, to be held in eight sites across Nebraska in late May and early June, now are open for registration.

The trainings are held in collaboration with Nebraska Extension and the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (CS-CASH) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health. Although designed for 14- to 15-year-old students, the courses are open to all interested in learning more about the safe operation of tractors and equipment.

Nebraska Extension began the tractor safety course more than 50 years ago. Since 2013, when the CS-CASH and Extension partnership began, more than 1,200 young Nebraska farmers and ranchers have received safety training certification.

The training can be lifesaving. From 2001 through 2015, 48% of all fatal injuries to young, hired workers occurred in agriculture, and the leading cause of death in these young workers was tractor-related accidents.

Federal law prohibits children under 16 from using certain equipment on a farm unless their parents or legal guardians own the farm. However, certification received through this 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.

Certification is earned by completing a Hands-On Safety Day with a written test on the first day, followed by a tractor and equipment safety training course, including a driving exam, on the second day. Successful completion will result in certification for 14- and 15-year-old youth to be employed on farms and ranches.

See more information and register for the two-day course.

The education team will include Aaron Yoder, PhD, UNMC associate professor and CS-CASH researcher. Dr. Yoder will be joined by CS-CASH team members Risto Rautianen, PhD, Ellen Duysen and Kelsey Irvine, and extension educators Randy Saner, Alfredo DiConstanzo, PhD, John Thomas and Ron Seymour. 

Day 1 of the course will cover the required elements of the National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Program, including quizzes that students must pass to attend the driving portion of the training. Day 2 will include a driving test, 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. The two-day course will include lessons on emergency first aid, personal protective equipment use, ATV/UTV safety and livestock handling.

The course costs $40 and includes educational materials, lunch on both days and supplies. Youth under 14 can register for and attend Certification Day 1 if accompanied by an adult. They cannot drive equipment, attend Day 2 or become certified. Students under 14 must still register but will not be charged the registration fee.

Those attending a location that only offers Day 2 (Gering, Hastings and O’Neill) must complete Certification Day 1 at another location or complete a virtual module. Certification Day 1 (or online module) must be completed, passing the written exam, before attending Certification Day 2.

Contact Ellen Duysen via email with questions about scheduling.

List of training locations:
Day 1 Training: Hands-on training and written certification exam
May 21 – North Platte: Lincoln, Logan, McPherson County Extension Office, 348 West State Farm Road
May 28 – West Point: Cuming County Fairgrounds, W. Washington St.
May 30 – Weeping Water: Cass County Fairgrounds, 8400 144th St. 
June 5 – Gordon: Gordon, 613 E 3rd St. 
June 11 – Grand Island: Raising Nebraska Building, 501 East Fonner Park, Suite 100 

Day 2 Training: Tractor and Equipment Safety Training with Driving Exam
May 22 - North Platte: Lincoln, Logan, McPherson County Extension Office, 348 West State Farm Road
May 29 – West Point: Cuming County Fairgrounds, W. Washington Street 
May 31 – Weeping Water: Cass County Fairgrounds, 8400 144th St.
June 4 – Gering: Legacy of the Plains Museum, 2930 Old Oregon Trail
June 6 – Gordon: Gordon, 613 E 3rd St.
June 7 – O’Neill: AKRS Equipment, 49110 US Hwy 20
June 12 – Grand Island: Raising Nebraska Building, 501 East Fonner Park, Suite 100 
June 13 – Hastings: Adams County Extension, 2975 S. Baltimore Ave.