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Howard
J. Doss
Michigan State University Extension
Looking
back just the past two years I have a list of Michigan agricultural
related deaths that tell details that everyone connected with
agriculture can learn from. If I look only at tractor related
injuries resulting in death and those who were operating or
riding on an agricultural tractor I have the following brief
comments about what happened in 1992 and 1993:
- "Tractor
-- rear upset, pulling a stump"
- "Extra
rider fell off tractor..crushed by tractor tire"
- "Tractor
upset to the rear pulling a tree"
- "Tractor
rolled over on road pulling a load of lumber on wagon"
- "Cut
corner too short on road, rolled over in a ditch"
- "Died
trying to pull fence post with tractor..hit operator"
- "Extra
rider crushed in side roll over in a gravel pit area"
- "Tractor
operator was run over trying to start tractor from ground"
- "Extra
rider fell off tractor, struck by fail mower"
- "Tractor
slid off icy roadway and rolled over crushing operator"
- "Extra
rider fell off and struck by field mower"
- "Tractor
side roll over, operator found in roadway ditch under tractor"
These
situations are real and did happen to Michigan farmers and
others who were riding on agricultural tractors. My condolences
to those who recognize a friend or relative in the above listing.
Yes, most readers understand each of the situations which
caused the accident because they likely have taken the same
risks, but the outcome wasn't as tragic.
Readers
might make the mistake of saying that it can't happen to them
because they are careful, it only happens to the other guy.
But the facts show that a tractor accident can happen to anyone,
evaluating risks and being prepared in the event of an accident
is the key to safe tractor operation.
- Never
take a risk that you know you shouldn't! This includes taking
extra riders on the tractor, even for just a short drive;
using a tractor for a job where a bulldozer is needed, such
as pulling stumps or large rocks; etc. If you feel there
is a risk involved in a task, then there likely is and other
options should be considered.
- Remember,
accidents do happen, even to the safest tractor operator.
To reduce the risk to yourself, take necessary precautions.
Make sure your tractor has a roll over protective structure
(ROPS) and a seat belt.
A
new approach to helping farmers evaluate and reduce the health
and safety risks they take on the farm is in the final stages
of development. This new series, Farm-For-Life (FFL)
takes a proactive approach to educating and encouraging farmers
to examine the potential hazards on their farms and in their
management practices.
FFL
takes the same type of approach on encouraging farmers to
adopt safe management practices as the successful "Farm-A-Syst"
project took on helping farmers with surface and ground water
protection. Education is stressed in the publications and
farmers are supplied with evaluation methods to point out
safer ways to do a task.
Unlike
a simple checklist, which only provides the farmer with a
"yes" or "no" response to a potential hazard, FFL takes farmers
on a "walking tour" of their operation and helps them to critically
examine their operation and practices.
Farmers
then have the opportunity to rank themselves to determine
an overall safety factor for an individual task and are provided
with information about safer options.
This
proactive approach of self-education by farmers, providing
them with safety options, and encouraging them to adopt safer
practices will have a greater impact than simply answering
a "yes" or "no" questionnaire. It is felt that this approach,
where the farmer does his or her evaluation instead of an
insurance company or a state or federal agency, will be less
intimidating and more effective because the farmer is allowed
to take the decision that best fits the situation.
What
do you think about this option for risk reduction on the farm?
If you would like to try the first topic in the new Farm-For-Life
series, send your name and address to the above address. Final
drafts of the first five FFL fact and work sheets are expected
by late summer or early fall. Topics covered in the first
five are:
- Tractor
Safety
- Grain
Bin Safety
- Farm
Equipment Safety
- Machine
Shop and Farm Building Safety
- General
Health of the Farmer and Family Members
The
Farm-For-Life series is produced by the Michigan Agricultural
Health Promotion Project in the Agricultural Engineering Department
and is funded by a competitive grant from the National Institute
of Occupational Safety and Health.
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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
This
document is part of the Safety News Series, Michigan State University
Extension. Publication date: July 1994.
Howard
J. Doss, Safety Leader, Agricultural Engineering Department,
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1323.
This
information is for educational purposes only. Reference to
commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement
by the MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.
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