Iowa State University Extension
Pm-1265c
| Reprint | September 1994
Farm
machinery safety |
How
much do you know ? |
Test
your skill with this quick quiz.
1. Which equipment is involved in more agricultural
injuries?
a) balers
b) skid steer loaders
2. Guards on augers eliminate all auger entanglement
hazards.
True or false?
3. An alert operator of a skid steer loader can get
out from under the hydraulic arm if the bucket accidentally
falls.
True or false?
4. Which is a hazardous situation:
a) spilled grain around auger intake area
b) a rotating power take-off shaft
c) children in the work area
d) all of the above
Answers
to quiz: 1-b; 2-False; 3-False; 4-d
|
The most
serious injuries and fatalities on the farm involve machinery
and equipment. In 1993, nearly half of 51 Iowa farm deaths resulted
from working with or around agricultural equipment.
Farm
operators depend on powerful equipment to effectively handle
commodities. Although some injuries occur in recognized danger
areas, such as around power take-offs, many others occur in
areas where hazards are not readily apparent.
For example,
more Iowans were injured while operating skid steer loaders
than balers in 1992-1993. Farm operators who work with balers
know the dangers of getting caught in the windrow pick-up
area and take appropriate precautions, while operators of
skid steer loaders often fail to recognize the hazard of being
crushed by the hydraulic loader arm. Unlike seasonal equipment,
loaders are used frequently in some operations, which increases
exposure to danger. Side screens on an operator's cab can
help prevent this hazard.
The key
is to recognize hazards while working or living on a farm.
Then you can avoid dangerous situations or at least minimize
your exposure to them.
This
publication deals with danger points on agricultural equipment,
those areas which can entangle, pinch, crush, or shear clothing
and limbs. Possible danger points could be the belt, chain,
or gear drives on many types of equipment. Rotary or auger
intake areas on grain handling equipment, grinder mixers and
grain heads also are dangerous. Consider feed rolls, gathering
chains and similar equipment used to pull crops into a machine
as areas where extra caution is required. A slow-moving hydraulic
arm can be as hazardous as a rapidly rotating power take-off
shaft.
The first step to avoiding danger is to recognize that hazards
exist. Carefully read the safety section in operator manuals.
Identify specific hazards associated with equipment you frequently
use.
Then
consider how you use equipment. Are you using it for tasks
it was meant to perform? Are you following all safety precautions
recommended by the manufacturer?
Most
machinery accidents result from human error. The operator
either forgot something, took a shortcut, ignored a warning,
wasn't paying close attention, or failed to follow safety
rules. Be familiar with the operator manual so you know the
limitations of your equipment and can follow safety measures
automatically.
Carefully
evaluate the operation of each implement for safety before
starting work. For example, a skid steer loader bucket is
a poor choice for a human lift because the bucket is designed
to dump its contents. It has no guard rails and no way to
prevent the bucket from dropping if hydraulic power fails.
Farm
machinery safety |
What
can you do? |
A
few simple actions can reduce your risk of danger
around farm machinery.
- Collect
operator manuals for all farm equipment and
place in a central location. Read the safety
section in each manual.
- Evaluate
how you anticipate using each implement and
identify potential safety hazards not mentioned
in the manual.
- Check
condition of intake guards and shields on grain
augers and other implements. Order and install
retrofit guards for older equipment.
- Remove
debris from grain unloading areas. Shut down
equipment when other people enter the area.
|
|
Equipment guards cannot eliminate all accidents. The best auger
intake shield won't work if it's not in place, or if the operator
gets too close to the auger.
Check
guards on all equipment as part of your routine maintenance
schedule. During seasons when equipment is used heavily, check
guards more often.
It may
be possible to retrofit older equipment with shields. Check
with your local implement dealer or the manufacturer to order
specific retrofit parts.
Many accident victims recognize hazardous situations, but they
misjudge the seriousness of the hazard because of secondary
factors.
For example,
spilled grain or debris in an unloading area could cause you
to slip and fall into the intake auger. Icy, muddy or manure-covered
surfaces make the work area slick and increase the risk of
injury. Bystanders or children in the work area can distract
the operator, or limit operator vision.
You can't
eliminate the hazard of working around grain augers, but you
can reduce the hazard. Remove or eliminate secondary factors
that are under your control. Keep the work area clean and
uncluttered. Control access and shut down operations when
others enter the work area.
Farm operators can overestimate their ability to stop or avoid
a dangerous situation. This is common when operators work around
powerful equipment every day and become comfortable with their
ability to control the machinery.
However,
operators are limited by their reaction time. The human reaction
time to a stimulus commonly ranges from one-fourth to three-fourths
of a second. Time varies by individual, and with age and physical
condition. Human reaction time is not quick enough to avoid
accidents with machinery.
Gravity
also is faster than human reaction. For example, it is very
dangerous to reach underneath the hydraulic loader arm of
a skid steer loader. If the hydraulic line breaks, gravity
could pull the loader bucket to the ground at a rate of about
9 feet in three-fourths of a second, and crush the extended
arm of the operator.
Manufacturers
have built safeguards into equipment but all hazards cannot
be removed. Take a realistic approach to equipment safety
and think about these principles for the operation of all
machinery.
- Be
aware of the dangers. Read the operator manuals and think
about how you use the equipment.
- Regularly
repair and replace protective guards or shields on all implements.
- Look
for and remove secondary hazards, such as spilled grain
or debris.
- Recognize
the limitations of you and your equipment.
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
NASD Review: 04/2002
For
more information
- Shielding
Agricultural Equipment, Catalog #699.41-0016, National Safety
Council, 1121 Spring Lake Dr., Itasca, Illinois 60143- 3201.
Fee for publication.
- Beware
of Machine Hazards, OSHA-2281, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, OSHA Publications Office, 200 Constitution
Ave. N.W., Room N-3101, Washington, D.C. 20210.
- Fundamentals
of Machine Operations: Agricultural Machinery Safety, available
from John Deere Service Publications, Dept. F, John Deere
Road, Moline, Illinois 61265. Fee for publication.
- Other
Safe Farm publications, including Reduce Risks Around Big
Round Bales, Pm-1518g, and Harvest Safety Yields Big Dividends,
Pm-1265h.
Prepared
by Mark Hanna, extension agricultural engineer, Charles V. Schwab,
extension safety specialist; and Laura Miller, extension communications.
Safe Farm promotes health and safety in agriculture. It is funded
by the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health,
Iowa State University, and a network of groups that serve Iowa
farm workers and their families. Printed on recycled paper with
soy ink Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa State University
of Science and Technology and the United States Department of
Agriculture cooperating. Robert M. Anderson, Jr., director,
Ames, Iowa. Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress
of May 8 and June 30, 1914
.
. . . and justice for all The Iowa Cooperative Extension Service's
programs and policies are consistent with pertinent federal
and state laws and regulations on nondiscrimination regarding
race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age and disability.
File: Health and Safety 1 NIOSH #UO5/CCU706051-03
|