Youth Tractor Safety – Instructor Information

Under Wisconsin state statutes, agricultural science and business (vocational agriculture) teachers and technical college agriculture instructors are qualified to certify youth that pass the youth tractor and machinery safety course, with the existing credentials those individuals already carry.

Curriculum

Extension endorses the Purdue Gearing Up for Safety course as it meets the competency requirements. The purpose of the Gearing Up for Safety program is to provide instructors with the necessary tools for organizing and conducting a local production agriculture safety training program for youth, and to afford parents, employers, or supervisors of youth the means to conduct on-the-job safety training. This free curriculum includes:

• Powerpoint presentations with instructor notes
• Worksheets
• Teaching aids
• Quizzes
• Exams

These topics have been identified in federal regulations and by agricultural safety and health experts as essential for youth to know and demonstrate in order to safely operate agricultural tractors and equipment, as well as perform other hazardous farm and ranch tasks.

The first 16 lessons of the contents are specifically designed for youth between the ages of 14 and 19 who are either legally protected under child labor or federal workplace safety and health regulations, or who are enrolled in 4-H or secondary agricultural education programs.

Additional information and resources are available from University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension to guide your course creation. Contact the Extension Tractor Safety Program Coordinator to learn more.

Cost and Recruiting

Gearing Up for Safety Curriculum is available at no cost. The cost for a tractor safety program can be set at the level that best suits the individual program needs in order to cover the cost of insurance, space, equipment, staffing, etc. 

Recruiting students to join the course may include advertising per the typical methods utilized by the affiliated school, in addition to sharing the course information with the Extension Tractor Safety Program Coordinator to add to the Youth Tractor Safety Course Offerings page. This page is promoted through Extension’s partnerships and across various platforms.

Certification

Youth attending the course must:

• Complete the written exam with a 70% or higher score
• Complete and pass the driving exam

Upon meeting these requirements, youth age 12+ receive the Wisconsin certificate signed by the instructor, and youth 14+ receive the federal certificate signed by the course instructor and certifying authority (Extension Tractor Safety Program Coordinator). Youth completing the course at age 12 or 13 can request the federal certificate be issued after their 14th birthday.

Parental Involvement and Record Retention

Course instructors should ensure parental consent forms and any additional forms required by the school are completed before the student starts the class. Youth participation records should be maintained per the instructor’s school policy and youth that need a replacement certificate will be referred back to the program they originally attended.

Assistance to Students with Special Needs

Programs should strive to accommodate students with identified special needs such as physical or learning disabilities. Consider all added safety concerns for youth with physical disabilities when operating tractors. Please contact Buffy Uglow at 715-619-7467 if you’d like to discuss accommodations for youth with a physical or cognitive disability.

Youth who are physically too small to safely operate the controls or too young to comprehend and learn the materials are not considered to have special needs. Youth with identified learning disabilities needing assistance for the written exam may be read the exam. However, it is recommended that a parent/guardian does not read the exam to the youth.