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SUMMARY : CASE 191-012-01
A farm laborer was feeding the cows on a dairy farm. He drove a tractor which pulled a feed wagon. Inside the wagon a large metal screw (or auger) turned, mixing the feed and pushing it out. This screw in the wagon was connected by a driveshaft to the power-take-off unit at the back of the tractor. The driveshaft spun rapidly between the tractor and the wagon, and was not covered or guarded.
The worker got off his tractor to check the driveshaft, leaving the tractor idling and the shaft still turning. When he reached across the shaft to pull a lever on the tractor, his shirt sleeve was caught by a joint in the shaft. The worker was wrapped around the shaft, his arm was ripped almost completely off, and his neck was fractured. The worker survived, but lost his arm.
How could this injury have been prevented?
Publication #: CDHS(COHP)-FI-92-005-02
This document was extracted from a series of the Nurses Using Rural Sentinal Events (NURSE) project, conducted by the California Occupational Health Program of the California Department of Health Services, in conjunction with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Publication date: May 1992.
The NURSE (Nurses Using Rural Sentinel Events) project is
conducted by the California Occupational Health Program
of the California Department of Health Services, in conjunction
with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health. The program's goal is to prevent occupational injuries
associated with agriculture. Injuries are reported by hospitals,
emergency medical services, clinics, medical examiners,
and coroners. Selected cases are followed up by conducting
interviews of injured workers, co-workers, employers, and
others involved in the incident. An on-site safety investigation
is also conducted. These investigations provide detailed
information on the worker, the work environment, and the
potential risk factors resulting in the injury. Each investigation
concludes with specific recommendations designed to prevent
injuries, for the use of employers, workers, and others
concerned about health and safety in agriculture.
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
