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Thinking About Safety When You Have Farm Ponds
Farm ponds have been an important factor in the economic life for a farming family. Farm ponds can be used as a part of a water and soil conservation effort, in order to give livestock water, using it as a source of water irrigation, and to use in case of an emergency should there be a fire. The most pleasant aspect of farm ponds is the endless recreation opportunities for you and your family. You can enjoy boating, ice skating, fishing and swimming when you have farm ponds on your property.
Children and Farm Ponds
It is said that some farm ponds can contribute to drowning that are accidental. It is usually children who are the victims of drowning in farm ponds. Younger children may get close to the water and slip and fall on the soft soil of the bank. Sometimes they are merely wading in the shallows only to find that they have fallen into a deep hole. There are those children who seem to drown for no good reason. It is felt that the lack of adult supervision is a major factor when it comes to farm ponds drowning.
Most people who drown in farm ponds are visitors or guests to the farm. Kids have a strong urge to check out everything that is new to them and they may get caught up in the heat of the moment and fail to hear adult warnings. Children are not the only ones who drown in farm ponds; adults do too.
The Responsibility of The Farmer
The person who is operating the farm is the person who is responsible to make sure that the farm ponds are as safe as they can be. It is often recommended that farm ponds be posted and fenced to keep out unwanted intruders. You can often save a life and prevent an accident when you place warning signs around farm ponds, and indicate the areas where it is unsafe to swim.
When making your pond safe for others to swim, you will need to have a rescue post. A rescue post should be put firmly into the ground close to the water. Paint the post a bright color such as yellow. Nail a bracket, a post or a large peg and attach a life preserver to it along with enough rope to reach around farm ponds. A lighter pole should be attached to the emergency post to help in a harder rescue situation. Always leave important numbers attached to the post as well so you can have quick access to help if someone goes down in farm ponds. |