Contents

Introduction What's Inside?.
Training Techniques.
Tractor Safety Training Guide.
Motor Vehicle Safety Training Guide.
Chipper/Shredder Safety Training Guide.
Skid Steer Safety Training Guide.
Tree Trimming Safety Training Guide.
Aerial Lift Safety Training Guide.
Mowing and Trimming Safety Training Guide.

Tractor Safety Training Guide

Suggested Materials

• Tractor Safety Manuals (English, and Spanish)
• Sign-in Sheet
• Pencils
• Instructor Guide
• Training Overheads/Slides/Projector
• Blank Overheads/Flipchart/Blackboard/Pen for listing participant responses and outlining important concepts.
• Tractors and Implements for Hands-on Exercises
• Ear Plugs and other protective equipment for Hands-on Exercises
• Toy Tractor and Implements for Visual Aids
• Temporary Traffic Control Devices for Hands-on Exercises

Sources of Background Information

Tractor and Motor Vehicle Safety Manuals available for download:
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/Landscaping_Equipment_Safety.htm
Operator's manuals for tractors (available from dealer)

Length of Time Needed for Training

Review and select the learning activities that are most appropriate. If all of the discussion and hands-on exercises are included in the training it may take up to a full work day. Without the hands-on exercises, the classroom portion will take about two hours.

Welcome and Introduction

• Introduce yourself.
• Remind participants of the topic of the training.
• Discuss breaks, locations of restrooms, ending time and any tests or evaluations.
• Tell participants you expect them to play an active role by relating their experiences and knowledge.

Participant Introductions

Find out:

• Who are they?
• What is their experience with tractors?
• What do they hope to learn from the training?

Questioning/Discussion

Before beginning Lesson 1:

• What do participants think are the most common types of accidents that happen with tractors? List ideas on an overhead or flipchart.
• Have any participants known someone who has been killed or seriously injured in a tractor accident? Would anyone care to share what happened?

Lesson 1 Take Control of Your Own Safety

Suggested Objectives

• Define the most commonly reported causes of serious injury and death from tractor accidents.

Discuss Accident Reports on pages 4 -5 of the Tractor Safety Manual

Discussion Items

• How well did participants' ideas for the most common cause of accidents match those in the tractor safety manual? (Refer to the overhead or flipchart list made during the introduction.)
• Which of these hazards represents the greatest risk in your workplace?

Discuss the Safety Signs on page 6 of the Tractor Safety Manual

Questioning
Can participants recall any safety signs they have seen on equipment?

Evaluation
As a group, answer the quiz items on page 7 of the Tractor Safety Manual. Be sure to discuss each item.

Questioning
Before beginning Lesson 2:

• What safety items do participants check before starting their tractor every day?
• What are some safety issues participants need to consider when shutting down a tractor?

Lesson 2 Prepare for Safe Operation

Suggested Objectives

• Identify and locate tractor parts to be checked before operation.
• Discuss steps for safe startup and shutdown.

Discuss the Daily Pre-Operation Checklist and information on pages 8 -9 of the Tractor Safety Manual

Questioning
What is the company policy for recording pre-operation equipment checks?

Visual Aid
Display the overhead "What's Wrong with This Picture?" on page 21 of the Instructor Guide. Have participants identify and discuss all safety problems they see. Check participants' observations from the overhead with the answer key on page 22 of the Instructor Guide.

Discussion
Discuss the company's Safety Belt and Hearing Protection Policy. What are some barriers that keep other workers from wear safety belts? Hearing protection? How can these barriers be removed?

Hands-on Exercise
Have participants inspect and wear any personal protective equipment that is required for their work. Discuss the importance of each item.Try on hearing protection:

• follow manufacturer's procedure or use the general procedure below.
• demonstrate technique.
• provide feedback as participants practice.

Inserting Ear Plugs

Types of Hearing Protection

Ear Plugs
	Clean hands. Roll ear plug between fingers to compress it. Grasp ear from behind your head with opposite hand and pull up to straighten ear canal. Insert ear plug until it blocks sound, then hold in place while it expands. (Count out loud to 20 while it expands.) Ear plug must completely fill ear canal. Test fit by cupping hands over ears and then releasing. There should not be much difference in sound. Wash reusable plugs in warm soapy water after use/throw away disposable after each use.
Hearing Bands
	Grasp ear from behind your head with opposite hand and pull up to straighten ear canal. Use your hands to press the ear pads into the ear canals. Test fit in a noisy environment: Lightly press band inward and you should not notice much reduction in noise level.
Ear Muffs
	Make sure the cushions fully cover the ear and seal tightly against the head. Hold the headband at the crown of the head and adjust each cup. Test fit in a noisy environment: Gently push the cups toward your head and release. There should not be much difference in noise level.

Visual Aid
Display the overhead "Is This a Good Idea?" provided on page 23 of the Instructor Guide. Ask participants to identify all safety problems indicated in the story. Then discuss any items in Safe Entry/Startup/Shut Down on page 9-10 the Tractor Safety Manual that weren't mentioned.

Discussion
Discuss what types of accidents can happen when attachments and implements are not hitched properly.

Analysis
Instruct participants to look at the items for Hitching and Unhitching Attachments and Implements on page 10 of the Tractor Safety Manual. Ask them to write "rollover," "runover," "moving parts," or "multiple hazards" beside each item to indicate what type of accident is most likely to result if the recommendation isn't observed. Briefly discuss the items as a group.

Discussion Items

• Discuss why it is important to shut off the tractor and wait 5 minutes for the engine to cool before fueling. (Note: For tractors with a fuel inlet near the engine or exhaust.)
• Why would operators not follow this rule?
• Why is this rule important?

Questioning

• What is your company's policy and practice for tire maintenance?
• Do any of your tractors have split rim wheels?

Evaluation
Ask participants to answer quiz items on page 11 of the Tractor Safety Manual. Be sure to discuss each item.

Hands-on Exercise
As a group or individually, inspect a tractor using a checklist such as the Daily Pre-Operation Inspection on page 45 of the Instructor Guide. Safely mount, start, shut down, and dismount a tractor, observing the precautions on pages 9 and 10 of the Tractor Safety Manual. Hitch and unhitch the various types of equipment that participants will be expected to use.

Lesson 3 Avoiding Rollover Accidents

Suggested Objectives

• Identify safe work procedures to prevent rollover accidents.
• Evaluate safe operating procedures for hills and slopes.

Discuss Accident Reports on pages 12 -13 of the Tractor Safety Manual

Visual Aid
Inform participants that rollovers are the most common cause of death on agricultural tractors. Discuss the overhead on page 24 of the Instructor Guide.

Case Studies
Break the class into small groups of three to five people. Provide each group with one of the scenarios on pages 25-28 of this Instructor Guide. Ask each group to discuss their scenario, using the information from Lesson 3 of the Tractor Safety Manual. If there are more than four groups, more than one group can work on the same scenario. Monitor the progress of each group. Bring the class back together and ask for a representative from each group to read their problem and explain their solution. Display case study overheads as each group takes turns. Ask other groups what they think of the proposed solution.

Visual Aid
Display overheads of tractors on slopes provided on pages 29-32 of the Instructor Guide. For each slide, ask the group to identify and explain the proper way to operate a tractor in order to avoid a rollover. Check participant responses with the answer key provided on page 33 of the Instructor Guide.

Visual Aid
Show participants these concepts with a toy tractor on a sloped surface:

• Demonstrate how rollovers can happen when turning uphill while driving across a slope.
  

  1	2
  3	4

• Demonstrate how the front end of a tractor will tend to raise if a load is hitched too high.
• Demonstrate how the front end of a tractor may raise up if the tractor tires are prevented from rotating while in forward gear.
  

  1. In normal operation, tractor wheels move clockwise in forward gear.	2. When pulling a fixed object, the tractor wheels can be prevented from turning.
  3. When tractor wheels can't rotate, the tractor front end raises in forward gear.	4. When the front end raises, a rollover can easily occur

Questioning
Ask participants why it is important to wear a safety belt when operating a tractor that has ROPS.

Discussion
Discuss reasons why other workers may not always wear safety belts. What can be done to increase safety belt use?

Evaluation
Answer the quiz items on page 15 of the Tractor Safety Manual individually or as a class. Be sure to discuss each item.

Lesson 4 Avoiding Run Over and Collision Accidents

Suggested Objectives

• Discuss types and causes of runover and collision accidents.
• Identify correct operating procedures for avoiding runover and collision accidents.

Discuss Accident Reports on pages 16 -17 of the Tractor Safety Manual

Case Studies
Break the class into small groups of three to five participants. Provide each group with one of the scenarios from pages 34-37 of the Instructor Guide. Ask each group to answer the question in their scenario, using the information in Lesson 4 of the Tractor Safety Manual. If there are more than four groups, have more than one group work on the same scenario. Monitor the progress of the groups. Bring the class back together and ask for a representative from each group to read their problem and explain their solution. Ask other groups what they think of the proposed solution.

Evaluation
Answer the quiz questions on page 19 of the Tractor Safety Manual individually or as a class. Be sure to discuss each item.

Hands-on Exercise
Take the class outdoors and point out several distinct areas nearby. (e.g., ditches, fields, wooded areas, embankments, etc.). Break the class into groups of three to five participants. Ask each group to evaluate one of the areas and report back to the class regarding whether it is safe to operate a tractor in that particular area and list any precautions that are necessary in order to prevent a rollover, runover or collision accident.

Lesson 5 Moving Parts and Machinery Hazards

Suggested Objectives

• Identify mechanical tractor and implement hazards.
• Describe how to avoid injury from moving machine parts.

Discuss the Accident Report on page 20 of the Tractor Safety Manual

Discussion
Ask participants to give specific examples of how people get caught in the moving parts of tractors and implements. List participant responses on an overhead or flipchart.

Questioning
If your clothing or hair gets caught in a PTO shaft, how long do you have to react before your body gets completely pulled in?

Discuss the PTO information in the box on page 1 of the Tractor Safety Manual

Discussion
Have any participants known someone who has been killed or seriously injured in a accident involving a PTO shaft? Would anyone care to share what happened?

Analysis
Have participants read the Other Mechanical Hazards on pages 21-22 of the Tractor Safety Manual. Ask each participant to write an example in the margin next to any hazards they have seen on their own equipment. When finished, ask different participants to briefly describe one of the examples they recorded.

Discussion Items

• A tractor or implement comes in contact with a power line. What should be done?

Discuss the electrical information in the box on page 22 of the Tractor Safety Manual

• Is it okay to move a power line out of the way with a 2 X 4 in order to drive a tractor with a tall load under the line?
• A power line is in the way of your work. Discuss procedures for contacting the power company to shut off power.
• Discuss the company's policies and practices regarding checking and repairing hydraulic fluid leaks.

Hands-on Exercise
Have several tractors available with attached equipment. Break the class into groups of three to five participants. Ask each group to evaluate one of the tractor-attachments and report back to the class regarding whether guards are in place and operating properly and any precautions that are necessary in order to prevent contact with hazardous parts.

Evaluation
Answer the quiz items on page 23 of the Tractor Safety Manual either individually or as a class. Be sure to discuss each item.

Lesson 6 Highway Safety and Other Hazards

Suggested Objectives

• Identify safe operating procedures when driving a tractor on the highway.
• Explain other health and safety risks associated with operating a tractor.

Contest
Divide the class into groups. Display the contest items provided on pages 38-42 of the Instructor Guide. In turn, ask each group a multiple choice or true/false question from the overheads. Each group gets one point for every correct answer. If a group misses a question, allow the next group to answer it for a point. Keep track of points and recognize the winning group. Use the questions as opportunities to discuss the training material. Answer key provided on page 43 of the Instructor Guide.

Evaluation
Answer the quiz items on page 31 of the Tractor Safety Manual either individually or as a class. Be sure to discuss each item.

Hands-on Exercise
In a safe area such as a private road or parking lot on the organization's property, have participants set up a roadside work area using traffic cones and flaggers, as appropriate. Make sure all participants wear brightly-colored reflective vests and any other safety equipment that the organization requires for this type of work. Guidelines for roadside work areas are detailed in the Motor Vehicle Safety participant manual for Landscaping and Horticultural Services at
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/Landscaping_Equipment_Safety.htm

Conclusion

Review
Ask each participant to discuss at least one task they are going to perform differently as a result of the Tractor Safety Training.

Discussion
Ask participants to share any questions or concerns they may still have or want to discuss further.

Evaluation
Answer the quiz questions on page 33 of the Tractor Safety Manual individually or as a group. Be sure to discuss each item.

Hands-on Performance Evaluation
In a safe area with adequate supervision, have each participant complete a hands-on performance evaluation while operating a tractor (including attachments, if appropriate). The evaluation may include:

• Pre-Operation Inspection provided on page 45 of the Instructor Guide
• Attaching implements
• Safe start-up
• Driving the tractor to perform a safe task
• Removal of implements
• Safe shut-down

A scoresheet for the performance evaluation is provided on page 46 of the Instructor Guide.

Visual Aid
(Roll over image with mouse to see answers.)

VIsual Aid

Is This a Good Idea?

A worker was using a tractor with a trailing mower. He saw some rope on the ground and didn’t want it to get caught in the mower. With the engine and PTO running, he put the tractor in neutral and climbed down, stepping on the ground in front of the right rear tractor tire (the parking brake wasn’t working). After picking up the rope, he walked around the back of the tractor, stepped over the spinning PTO shaft, and climbed into the seat, using the PTO master shield as a step.

Visual Aid

Tractor Rollovers

85% are SIDE rollovers

15% are REAR rollovers

Less than 1% are FRONT rollovers

SOURCE: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Trac-Safe: A Community-Based Program for Reducing Injuries and Deaths Due to Tractor Overturns. Cincinnati, Ohio:1996

Case Study #1 (Tractor Safety Lesson 3)
You will be using a tractor to haul a heavy implement from one job site to another. Part of the route is a gravel country road. The other part is a highway. There are some hills along the roads. What safety issues should you consider before starting in order to reduce the chances of a rollover accident?

Case Study #2 (Tractor Safety Lesson 3)
You have to mow a ditch along a roadside with a tractor and trailing mower. What issues should you consider, and what precautions should you take in order to reduce the risk of a rollover accident?

Case Study #3 (Tractor Safety Lesson 3)
You need to pull out some old stumps with a tractor. What issues should you consider and what precautions should you take in order to reduce the risk of a rollover accident?

Case Study #4 (Tractor Safety Lesson 3)
You will be using a tractor with a front-end attachment to load dirt onto a truck. You have no choice but to park the truck downhill of the dirt pile. What issues should you consider and what precautions should you take in order to reduce the risk of a rollover accident?

Which is Safer?

Which is Safer?

Which is Safer?

Which is Safer?

Answer Key:

Case Study #1 (Tractor Safety Lesson 4)
Describe how a tractor operator could get hurt in a runover or collision while operating a tractor with a trailing implement in an area with lots of trees, brush, and low-hanging branches. What are the most important issues you should consider to prevent this from happening?

Case Study #2 (Tractor Safety Lesson 4)
Describe how a worker on foot could be run over while a tractor with a trailing mower is being operated in a landscaping project involving many workers. What are the most important issues you should consider to prevent this from happening?

Case Study #3 (Tractor Safety Lesson 4)
Describe how an operator or a helper could get hurt while hitching an implement to a tractor. What are the most important issues you should consider to prevent this from happening?

Case Study #4 (Tractor Safety Lesson 4)
Describe how an operator or a helper could get hurt when trying to start a tractor that has a battery or starter problems. What are the most important issues you should consider to prevent this from happening?

Tractor Safety Lesson 6 Contest

1. Light headedness, dizziness and clammy, moist skin are most likely to be signs of:
   a. heat stroke.
   b. heat exhaustion.
   c. heat rash.
   
2. Prolonged exposure to sunlight causes:
   a. skin cancer.
   b. cataracts.
   c. both A & B.
   
3. A slow-moving vehicle (SMV) sign is required when driving a tractor or other vehicle on a public road at speeds of:
   a. 25 MPH or less.
   b. 0 MPH or less.
   c. 35 MPH or less.
   
4. Use _____________ to stop bleeding from minor cuts:a.
   a tourniquet
   b. direct pressure
   c. neither A nor B
   
5. Disorientation, confusion, and hot, dry, red skin are likely to indicate:
   a. heat stroke.
   b. heat exhaustion.
   c. neither A nor B.
   
6. Prevent skin cancer by covering exposed skin with a broad spectrum sunscreen that has a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least:
   a. 40.
   b. 10.
   c. 15.
   
7. When working in the heat, how much water should you drink to avoid heat illness?
   a. 1 cup per hour
   b. 1 quart per hour
   c. 1 gallon per hour
   
8. Treat a minor burn by:
   a. cooling the burn with cool water.
   b. warming the burn with warm water.
   c. breaking any blisters.
   
9. When operating on a public road, you should use a safety chain strong enough to hold the towed implement if the primary hitch fails.
   True/False
   
10. The metal cab of an enclosed tractor provides no protection against lightning.
    True/False
    
11. When you can see lightning and hear thunder, lightning is close enough to strike you.
    True/False
    
12. You may die of carbon monoxide poisoning if you run a tractor engine indoors with no ventilation.
    True/False
    
13. If you are bitten by a poisonous snake, use a knife to cut an X on each fang mark, and suck out the poison.
    True/False
    
14. If the tractor is equipped with left and right brake pedals, hitting one brake in road gear may cause the tractor to turn suddenly.
    True/False

Contest Answer Key

1. b
2. c
3. a
4. b
5. a
6. b
7. b
8. a
9. T
10. F
11. T
12. T
13. F
14. T

Forms (PDF)
Training Attendance Form
Daily Pre-Operation Inspection (Tractor)
Operator Performance Evaluation (Tractor)
Training Evaluation Form

Publication #: MF2716

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