http://www.jsonline.com/business/farms-could-face-new-rules-for-kid-workers-i3337e7-134368758.htmlFarms could face new rules for kid workers.
Proposal stirs fear of diverting kid's interest in agriculture..snip..
As Americans, Mayer says, we are too protective of our children when it comes to physical labor.
"We have raised a generation of 'bubble-wrap' babies," she says.
"Parents dote so much on kids, they practically need an oxygen mask to go outside. And we wonder why they can't function in society."
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For the record, farming is one of the most dangerous jobs in the country. I personally know half a dozen farmers who have been mangled in bailers or PTO's. The data is inescapable.
Per OSHA:
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/agriculturaloperations/..snip..
Agriculture is one of the most hazardous industries in the nation. Farming is one of the few industries in which the families (who often share the work and live on the premises) are also at risk for fatal and nonfatal injuries. Approximately 1,818,000 full-time workers were employed in production agriculture in the U.S. in 2008. Fatal injuries constitute a significant burden on the agricultural sector, as indicated by the 456 farmers and farm workers who died from a work-related injury for a fatality rate of 25.1 deaths per 100,000 workers during that same year. An estimated 1.12 million children and adolescents under 20 years of age resided on farms in 2006, with about 590,000 of these youth performing work on the farms. In addition to the youth who live on farms, an additional 307,000 children and adolescents were hired to work on U.S. farms in 2006.
On average, 113 youth less than 20 years of age die annually from farm-related injuries (1995 -2002), with most of these deaths occurring to youth 16-19 years of age (34%). (Agricultural Safety. NIOSH Safety and Health Topic Page)
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