Carol
J. Lehtola and Charles
M. Brown
University of Florida IFAS Extension
The condition
of equipment sold at auctions or transferred from person to
person varies widely, so it's important to examine used equipment
carefully.
When equipment is purchased through a dealership, the purchase
usually includes a warranty, directions for maintenance and
operation, warning signs, "seals of approval" and
assurances that the equipment conforms with voluntary or federal
standards.
But regardless of where you buy your equipment, look for items
that may detract from safety. They include missing shields
and poor upkeep.
A bargain price may not be worth the risks involved. Don't
be blinded by a "sale" and end up with equipment
for which you didn't bargain. Ask yourself
the following questions when you're buying used equipment.
- Are
operating manuals included?
- Are
shields and guards in place?
- Is
the equipment in decent condition? Breakdowns due to poor
maintenance could cause unsafe working conditions.
- If
you're buying a tractor, is it equipped with a ROPS? If
it isn't, determine who's responsible for making sure it's
installed. Remember, tractors manufactured after October
1976 that are used by employees are required to have ROPS
and seat belts per OSHA Standard 1928.51 (Roll-over protective
structures (ROPS) for tractors used in agricultural operations).
- Remember:
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.
The second set of parentheses contains the Web address at
which the publication can be viewed.)
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: 08/2002
1. This document
is
AE309
, 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.
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