Additional Charts for Teaching The Value of ROPS
ROPS & Seat Belts: Protection, Farmers' Perceptions, and Behavior The second set of graphics includes five pie charts. Three additional charts also depict the number of 100 "Mr. Good Egg Farmers" in Kentucky who are protected from tractor overturns by ROPS and seat belts (6%), are partially protected by a ROPS but who don't wear the seat belt (24%). and the large number of farmers (76%) who are unprotected because they have no ROPS or seat belts on their tractors. The first two pie charts provide information about actual injury rates to Kentucky farmers from tractors and tractor overturns and the percent of farmers who are protected by ROPS and seat belts. The next five pie charts are based on a February 1997 study of a large random sample of farmers from four Kentucky counties. These charts show how much farmers (1) thought about getting a ROPS on their tractor(s) within the last year, (2) actually tried to get a ROPS on one or more tractors, (3) how much protection they believe a ROPS and seat belt provide the operator during an overturn, (4) how often farmers who drive ROPS-equipped tractors wear the seat belt, and how likely it is that the farmer thinks he or she will overturn a tractor in his or her lifetime. Studies of large samples of other farmers from 60 Kentucky counties found that 1 in 9 or 11% of farmers overturn a tractor in their lifetime and survive, although many of these farmers are injured, some severely, and some suffer permanent disabilities. Many other farmers die from tractor overturns as can be seen from the first pie chart in section. This chart is based on examination of Kentucky death certificates for an eleven this year period from 1982 to 1992. These pie charts may be useful as discussion points with individuals and groups following the Mr. Good Egg Farmer activity or as part of other farm safety education programs. Farmers and other farm community members are often not aware of the high injury and fatality rates from tractor overturns and are usually quite interested in the charts and the information they contain.
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
