Mac
Legault, Paul
Ayers, Chris Johnson, Monte Dickson
Colorado State University Cooperative Extension
The
Colorado State University Cooperative Extension District Agricultural
Safety Display, designed to be used at county fairs, crop
clinics, etc., was built by the Department of Agricultural
and Chemical Engineering and funded by NIOSH. The display
has two segments, a tractor rollover display and a display
backboard, title, safety script, pictures and examples of
handouts. The display can be used unattended or with a knowledgeable
person to answer questions. If it is unattended, only the
display board should be used.
The
first segment is the tractor rollover display. It has a rollover
box, a metal cast tractor with removable rollover protective
structure (ROPS) and a radio-controlled tractor with a controller.
A string and hook is included to demonstrate proper hitching.
The purpose of the rollover display is to teach young people
and remind adults of the correct method of driving tractors
up, down and across hills. Following are the general tractor
driving rules and how they can be demonstrated (Practice the
following demonstrations prior to performing in front of an
audience.):
- Always
back un and drive down hills with a conventional style tractor
(rear wheels larger than the front wheels). Remember that
the front is always pointing down hill whether the operator
is backing up or driving down the hill. When backing up
or driving down a hill, keep the tractor in low gear. Never
turn sharply on hills.
Demonstration:
- Drive
tractor straight up the hill (tractor will overturn)
- Back
tractor straight up the hill
- Drive
the tractor straight down the hill
- Back
the tractor straight down the hill (the tractor will
overturn)
NOTE:
To include the audience, ask them the correct way to
go up or down the hill. From this response, do one of
the above. All choices should be selected before this
segment of the demonstration is completed.
- On
a conventional-style tractor with proper ballast 35 percent
of the weight is in the front and 65 percent in the rear.
If the front end is too heavy, the tractor will be difficult
to turn as the tires dig into the soil. If the front end
is too light, the tractor will not turn as quickly as expected,
and there is an increased chance of a rear rollover.
Demonstration:
Place the tractor on the slope pointing straight downward
and have one or more of the audience lift up the rear
of the tractor. Turn the tractor around and have the participants
lift up the front end. Ask them which end was heavier
to lift. This may be performed on a flat surface, but
is not nearly as dramatic.
- When
crossing hills. if the operator is leaning significantly
toward the Uphill rear tire. the tractor is on too steep
a slope. All that is required to over turn a tractor is
a hole on the downhill side. a bumP on the uphill side or
both. More deaths occur from side rollovers than rear rollovers.
If this situation occurs, the operator should stop the tractor
and look around to determine the safest means of getting
off the hill. The operator can either turn and back up or
turn and drive down the hill. There may be a fence or ditch
at the bottom so the operator must back up the hill. Or
there may be an obstruction of some type at the top of the
hill, thus turning and driving down the hill is safer. If
backing up or driving down is not possible due to obstructions,
back up slowly in the same wheel tracks from the direction
the operator came until it becomes possible to either back
up or drive down the hill. The operator knows the surface
he/she drove over, but the operator may not know if the
terrain is passable if he/she continues forward. Even slopes
that have been traversed often may not be safe; a rock or
hole struck at the wrong angle or speed could result in
a side rollover.
Demonstration:
Place the tractor across the slope and ask the audience
if they know how to tell when the slope is too steep to
traverse. Tell them the rule about leaning toward the
uphill tire. Ask the audience how would they get off the
hill safely. Tell them about turning and driving down
hill or turning and backing up the hill.
- If
the operator's tractor has a ROPS cab or rollbar then the
seatbelt must be worn. There has been only one death in
the United States where a ROPS was properly installed and
the seatbelt was worn. The operator went off a 14 foot bridge
and landed upside down. There have been many deaths when
ROPS were present, but the seatbelt was not worn. It is
more dangerous to have a ROPS and not wear the seatbelt
than it is not to have a ROPS.
Discussion
Topic:
Explain to the audience what a ROPS is and its purpose.
Ask the audience what other safety equipment should be
used with ROPS (seatbelts). This segment cannot be demonstrated
with the model tractor, but it should be discussed.
- The
only time seatbelts should not be worn is when a ROPS is
not present on the tractor allowing the operator a chance
to escape. Tractors without a ROPS tend to roll over 180
degrees or more (there is no room for an operator when the
tractor is upside down). A tractor with a ROPS roll over
approximately 90 degrees. The safest protection is to have
a ROPS and a seatbelt installed on the tractor and wear
the seatbelt.
Demonstration:
Use the metal cast tractor for this demonstration. Show
the audience how far the tractor will roll over with the
ROPS on the tractor; then show how far the tractor will
roll over with the ROPS removed. The ROPS can be removed
by pushing in the piston near the lower cross member of
the ROPS with a coin or key. Place the tractor upside
down, and ask the audience how much room remains for the
operator. This will show them that there is not enough
room for the operator if the tractor does not have a ROPS
and rolls over.
- If
the tractor is equipped with a front end loader. Operate
the tractor with the front end loader in a down position.
When the loader bucket is up, the tractor's center of gravity
moves to a higher position. This makes the tractor unstable
and subject to side rollover. If the bucket must be up to
complete a task, operate the tractor in a lower gear, do
not turn sharply and return the bucket to the down position
when possible.
Demonstration:
The display does not contain a tractor with a front end
loader, but this topic can be demonstrated. Ask for a
volunteer from the audience, and have the volunteer to
squat down with their feet apart. Gently try to push him/her
over to the side. Next, have the volunteer stand and push
him/her to the side. It will be easier to push the volunteer
off balance when he/she is standing up. This will demonstrate
how the center of gravity raises with increased height.
The same principle applies to tractors that have the buckets
in the up position.
- It
only takes three-quarters of a second for a tractor starting
to roll over backwards to reach the Point of no- return:
another three-quarters of a second, and the tractor is completely
over. Reaction time is a 1/2 second or longer. Therefore,
there is not enough time to react to a rear rollover. Operate
equipment correctly to eliminate accidents.
Demonstration:
Using the radio-controlled tractor, back the tractor part
way down hill. Reverse the direction suddenly and the
tractor will turn over quickly. This demonstrates how
fast a tractor will turn over when under a load.
- Only
hitch equipment to the tractor at the draw bar unless the
equipment has been specifically designed to attach to the
three-point hitch. Draw bars can be attached to the lower
arms of the three-point hitch. Inadvertently, the three
point may be raised, increasing the potential for a rear
rollover. Attaching equipment higher than the draw bar can
produce enough torque on the
Demonstration:
Using the radio-controlled tractor and the string with
attached hook, show the audience what happens when a tractor
is hitched correctly and incorrectly. Hitch the string
to the draw bar, and have a volunteer hang onto the string
end at the same level as the draw bar. Drive the tractor
forward. Next, hitch the string to the eye bolt and repeat
the process. The tractor will roll over to the rear.
- If
the tractor is stuck. never attach a log or other object
to the tires to provide more traction. If the tire should
suddenly stop rotating. the potential for a rear rollover
increases significantly. Attach towing equipment to the
draw bar only.
Demonstration:
Because of the low power of the motor, the tractor may
or may not roll over in this demonstration, but the front
end should raise slightly. Hold one of the rear tires
and try to drive the tractor forward. The front end should
raise slightly. Explain to the audience that a real tractor
will have enough power to roll over.
- Keep
equipment in good working order with proper maintenance.
Ninety-five percent of all accidents occur because of human
failure; keeping equipment in good working condition eliminates
the remaining 5 percent that occur from equipment failure.
Furthermore, keeping equipment in good working condition
and using proper maintenance practices reduces the potential
number of major repairs. The equipment also will be more
dependable in accomplishing tasks.
Discussion
Topic:
Discuss the benefits of keeping machinery in good working
condition.
- Read
the owner's manual to become familiar with the tractor or
equipment.
Discussion
Topic:
Discuss with the audience the benefits of knowing exactly
which tasks the piece of machinery is designed to accomplish.
Becoming familiar with equipment also identifies potential
hazards inherent to the machine.
- Always
shut off the tractor and engage the parking brake or put
the transmission in park before getting off. Doing this
eliminates the chance of being run over or entangled in
running machinery (i.e., PTO shafts and towed powered machinery).
If there are other people around, keep them at a safe distance
and in sight. Remove the key.
Discussion
Topic:
Discuss the hazards of leaving equipment running. Many
people are killed every year by being run over or entangled
in the PTO shaft and other equipment.
- Never
allow an extra rider on equipment. If there is only one
seat on the tractor. then the only person that should be
on the tractor is the operator. Many children and adults
are killed by being run over by tractors or equipment. The
extra rider can be knocked off, forced off or fall off.
Discussion
Topic:
Discuss this item with the audience.
- Tractors
and other equipment that are not designed to travel at more
than 25 miles per hour must display a Slow Moving Vehicle
(SMV) sign. This sign must be placed not less than 2 feet
nor more than 6 feet above the ground with the point directed
upward and placed at the rear of the tractor or equipment.
If the SMV is faded, replace it. Many accidents occur every
year when motorists run into the rear of slow moving equipment.
An additional method to protect the operator and motorists
is to turn on flashing four-way amber lights. This gives
motorists an indication that the equipment is traveling
25 MPH or less.
Discussion
Topic:
Discuss the above with the audience and show the SMV sign
at the rear of the radio-controlled tractor.
The second
segment of the District Agricultural Safety Display is a display
backboard, title, safety script, pictures and examples of handouts.
The handouts and other supplies are either available free or
can be purchased from the suppliers listed in the resource directory.
The title, script and pictures can be stored in the rollover
box; the lid can be opened at either corner of the elevated
portion. The script and pictures aid in covering three areas
of agricultural safety: tractor and equipment safety, chemical
safety and animal safety. The tractor and equipment safety information
can be used with the above operating rules. The display board
can be used for other types of displays as the pictures and
titles are removable.
Proper
handling and application of agricultural chemicals reduces
hazards inherent with use. Potential hazards are contamination
of the handler, others in the area and groundwater. The long-term
effects of some chemicals are not entirely known, and it is
best to use the chemicals with safety practices in mind. Read
the pesticide label for correct application and use personal
protective equipment (PPE).
Handling
livestock with the idea that they are to be kept safe reduces
the injury potential to the handler. Animals are not always
predictable in their actions, so accidents may happen. If
the livestock are kept calm, there is less chance they will
react to outside influences. Intact males always possess a
greater potential for harming their handler than do other
sexes. In general, horses injure and kill more people than
do other species of livestock.
Also
included with the display is a log and it is located in the
last section of the binder. The first ten log sheets are provided
for you, as well as a master sheet. This sheet has been produced
on thicker paper, DO NOT USE IT, EXCEPT FOR MAKING ADDITIONAL
COPIES OF THE LOG. Filling out the log will aid in the evaluation
of the effectiveness of the display. After each log sheet
has been completed, please return the sheet to either Mac
Legault or Paul Ayers. Your assistance will allow us to provide
more handouts and other supplies to you free of charge.
With
the financial support of the NIOSH Agricultural Health Promotions
System grant, the Department of Agricultural and Chemical
Engineering developed and produced the Colorado State University
Cooperative Extension District Agricultural Display.
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
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