It was a great day for a young boy to be out of school because he could help his dad around the farm. That afternoon they would be using the tractor to feed livestock. The boy's father thought his son would be safe in the tractor cab, like he had been many times before. He didn't expect the unlatched cab door to pop open when the tractor went over a rut. Before the father could step on the brakes, his son fell out of the cab and was run over by the rear wheel of the tractor. The boy was crushed under the weight of the tractor. The boy was rushed to a local hospital but died from massive internal bleeding. The heritage being passed from one generation to the next ended in a few tragic seconds.
This story is a compilation of details from many incidents of this kind that have occurred in Florida and elsewhere in recent years. In most incidents involving extra riders, victims fall off or are thrown from the tractor during a rough ride or when a tractor overturns. In these situations, extra riders can be run over by either the tractor or by an implement being towed, or both. In an overturn, the tractor often crushes the extra rider.
These incidents are double tragedies because they can so easily be prevented. The information below discusses the serious risks that extra riders face.
Why
Take the Risk?
Tractors are not passenger vehicles. Except for those built
with instructional seats, they are built for one person to
operate.
Passengers on tractors can interfere with safe operation of
a tractor. The extra rider can distract the operator, block
access to controls or obstruct the operator's vision.
Tractors (except those with instructional seats) are designed
to provide protection for only one person, the operator. All
tractors manufactured since 1976 are designed to have a special
rollover protective structure -- a ROPS -- that provides a
safe environment for the operator if the tractor overturns.
The use of the seat belts on tractors with ROPS will protect
the operator from serious injuries.
Extra
riders have no such protection. There is no safe environment
for extra riders on tractors. Tractors without ROPS offer
no overturn protection for operators or extra riders.
Many people have the mistaken idea that enclosed cabs protect
extra riders. This notion only gives tractor operators a false
sense of security. Many tractor runover deaths happen when
a child falls out of an enclosed cab. An enclosed cab can
reduce the chance that a rider will be bumped off a tractor,
but it can't eliminate the risk. The small measure of protection
from an enclosed cab is not a guarantee of safety for extra
riders. Door latches may not be fully latched; latches can
be bumped; and children can become restless and tamper with
latches and controls. Note: Tractor models with Instructional
seats are limited to cab tractors.
Causes of Runovers
There are many reasons why extra riders are thrown from the
tractor, usually resulting in death. The causes include:
Operators
may think they can respond and stop the tractor in an instant,
especially if the tractor is moving very slowly or if only
simple tasks are being performed. The most common comment
from people involved in tractor runovers is how quickly they
happen. See Table 1.
Runovers can also occur when the tractor is involved in an
incident. One common scene occurs when a rider is thrown after
the tractor hits a building, bridge, or another vehicle. If
the tractor overturns, the operator and the rider are both
in danger.
The "No
Riders" Rule
The only way to prevent extra rider injuries or deaths is
to prohibit riders on tractors except for those actually involved
in training on a tractor equipped with an instructional seat.
Consider making a permanent policy to never allow riders on
tractors.
This may be a difficult rule to follow, especially in situations
involving visitors or young children. Depending upon the age
of the child, it may be helpful to explain what can happen
to tractor riders.
Solutions
Children may understand that they aren't allowed to ride other
heavy equipment such as road graders or machines used for
construction. They also may enjoy a ride on other farm vehicles
designed for passengers such as farm trucks or four-wheel
drive vehicles. A chance to sit in the operator's seat while
the engine is turned off and the key is removed also may satisfy
a child's curiosity about tractors.
Make sure all tractor operators observe the "NO RIDERS"
rule. Discuss its importance with your managers and employees.
It's also helpful to post "NO RIDERS" decals on
all tractors to remind others about the policy.
The most effective way to observe the "No Riders"
rule is to eliminate the need for extra riders on tractors.
Use other vehicles, such as trucks or cars, when you need
to transport workers to fields or distant work sites.
Limit the use of the extra seat for instructional or other
limited use circumstances.
Problems on
Other Equipment
Other equipment may be unsafe for extra riders, too. Most
all-terrain vehicles, skid steer loaders, and riding lawnmowers
are designed for one person.
Some combines and other equipment have extra seats. Seats
for extra riders should be added only by the manufacturer
because many factors are considered in designing them for
safety. A makeshift seat added to farm equipment cannot ensure
safety.
Enforcing a "NO RIDERS" rule may be the single most important thing you can do to protect people on your farm or ranch. The rule may challenge years of tradition, but it provides a safer way to pass on your agricultural heritage.
What Can You
Do?
A "NO RIDERS" rule for all tractors at all times
may be the single best way you can assure the safety of others
in your operation. Here are some tips:
Figure 1: No Riders Decal
How
Much Do You Know?
a.
tractor
b. all-terrain vehicle
c. pick-up truck cab
d. combine
Answers are at the end of the publication.
For More Information
"No Riders" decals may be purchased from the Farm
Safety 4 Just Kids organization. Call (515) 758-2827. For
more information about tractor safety, visit the Florida AgSafe
Network Web site:
http://www.flagsafe.ufl.edu
The following publications are available at your county Extension
office and at the EDIS Web site, <http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu>.
(IFAS Publication Numbers are in parentheses after the titles,
followed by the Web address to access the publication.)
Quiz
Answers: 1. False. 2. False. 3. a, b, and d.
Table 1. No matter how slow you are
driving, you cannot stop a tractor before it rolls over a
thrown rider.
|
Tractor
speed (miles per hour) |
How
fast the
tractor covers 6 feet (seconds) |
Stopping
time (seconds) |
Stopping
distance (feet) |
|
5
|
0.82
|
1.6
|
12
|
|
10
|
0.41
|
3.2
|
30
|
|
15
|
0.27
|
4.8
|
48
|
|
20
|
0.20
|
6.4
|
64
|
|
25
|
0.16
|
8.0
|
84
|
|
30
|
0.14
|
9.6
|
111
|
Publication #: AE300
1.
This document is
AE300
,one of a series of the Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute
of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida.
Supported in part by the NIOSH Deep-South Center for Occupational
Health and Safety, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida.
First published September 2001. Please visit the EDIS Web
site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu
2. Carol J. Lehtola, assistant professor, Department of Agricultural
and Biological Engineering, and Extension Agricultural Safety
Specialist, and Charles M. Brown, Assistant Coordinator for
Agricultural Safety and Health, Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. For information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension Service office. Florida Cooperative Extension Service/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences/University of Florida/Christine Taylor Waddill, Dean.
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
