A 14-year-old girl remains in hospital today with lower body injuries, primarily broken bones, after she became trapped in potato conveyor machinery near Carberry, Man.The accident occurred Sept. 18 when the girl became trapped while trying to cross over a conveyor while it was in motion. She slipped, the RCMP reported, and became trapped between the belt and the motor support bracket.During autumn, many kids and adults in Carberry work at seasonal jobs on potato farms removing rotten potatoes and foreign objects as the potatoes move up a conveyor belt.Despite the accident, there has been little debate in the community on whether children should be working at these types of jobs, said Marj Campbell, a councillor in the surrounding municipality of North Cypress.”I can’t imagine the community being upset about a 14 year old girl working…. Lots of them (kids) do it,” Campbell said. “I work for a potato grower at this time of year and I’m more than happy to have a school kid take over for me at 4 (p.m.)…. It’s an unfortunate accident.”However, Campbell added there should be an age restriction.”I would say 12 is the very, very least they should be…. Because of the machinery and the height of the machinery.”Mike Waite, president of Safety Services Manitoba, said he’s not sure if it’s reasonable or not for a 14-year-old to work at a potato farm.The reality is that kids work on farms in rural areas, he said, which means it’s common for a young boy or girl to be around potentially hazardous equipment. “How do you keep a 12-year-old kid off a tractor? It’s part of the family. It’s part of what they do. But it is, in essence, a workplace.”
Young girl injured by potato conveyor belt
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