The most deadly accidents on the farm involve tractors.
These accidents occur while operators are involved in routine tasks. For example, tractors with front-end loaders increase the chance of tractor rollover. A tractor is unstable when the front-end loader is in the raised position.
Avoid driving tractors with front-end loaders near or in ditches, up or down steep embankments, over holes, or across reduced tillage fields where surface stability is limited.
Early season cleanup tasks such as hauling trees or clearing debris may appear to be safe, however, they place the operator in a potentially dangerous situation. This is especially true when the task involves front-end loaders on tractors which do not have rollover protective structures, or ROPS.
Find out which tractors in your operation have ROPS. Consider retrofitting those tractors without ROPS, or attaching the front-end loader to a tractor that has ROPS.
NOTE: You may want to localize with the date and time of the next tractor safety class here.
For more information about safe operation of tractors or ROPS, enroll in the next tractor safety class scheduled (date, time and location). Registrations can be made by calling (phone) at the _______ County extension office.
This newsletter item was distributed by Iowa State University Extension as part of the Safe Farm program. Safe Farm promotes health and safety in agriculture. It is funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Iowa State University, and a network of groups that serve Iowa farm workers and their families. Distribution date: April 1992.
Disclaimer and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More
