Preventing Traumatic Injuries from Farm Machines

1. Preventing Traumatic InjuriesfromFarm Machines Mark A. Purschwitz, Ph.D. Extension Professor and Agricultural Safety and Health Specialist University of Kentucky

2. Our Goal – Education • Tractors, skid-steer loaders, round balers, and ATVs - UTVs • How the incidents occur • Typical injuries from these incidents • Prevention

3. Tractor Overturns • Often called “rollovers” because the tractor rolls over • Not to be confused with “runovers”, where the tractor/machine runs over the victim • Single most common fatal farm incident • Crushing trauma • Survivable perhaps 50% of the time

6. Prevention (of injury/death) • Have a ROPS on the tractor • Operator training is important but not sufficient – there are situations beyond the operator’s control; also, human nature • Set up the tractor correctly • Use the right size tractor for the job • Eliminate known overturn hazards • Proper roadway operation (discuss later)

7. Obtaining a Retrofit ROPS • Check with your dealer first • National Farm Medicine Center online guide (Marshfield, WI) • New and improved guide coming this fall – “The Kentucky ROPS Guide” • Will be widely publicized

8. Roadway Incidents • Losing control and going off the road • Being hit from behind by a faster vehicle • Being hit by a passing vehicle • Being hit by an oncoming vehicle • Being hit while entering or crossing road • Being hit by a train • Left turns are particularly a problem

11. Prevention • Operator training • Tractors and equipment well-lit and well-marked, even excessively so • Turn signals on tractors and trailed implements • Wide mirrors on tractors • Remind farmers of legal ramifications (incentive) • Better roads • Planned development considers traffic • Educate public about farmers’ rights to the road

12. Skid-Steer Loaders • Extremely common in construction, increasingly common in agriculture • Amazingly versatile and maneuverable • Problems occur when operator is out of the operator station • Crushing injuries • Amputations • Can overturn

15. Prevention • Don’t use an old skid-steer without a ROPS, side screens, and control interlocks • Don’t get out with the arms/bucket raised • If you must work on it with the arms raised, always mechanically lock in place • Keep controls and interlocks maintained, and do not bypass them. • Keep bystanders away, especially kids

16. Round Hay Balers • Entanglement with the intake rollers can result in severe injuries, including amputation and even death. • Working inside with the tailgate raised and not locked in position can result in crushing injuries • Entanglement in power transmission components like shafts and chains, etc. can result in a variety of injuries.

19. Prevention • Don’t use an old baler; newer balers lack compression rolls or made them inaccessible • Keep baler maintained and adjusted • Shut it off before unplugging, adjusting, working with wrapping mechanism • Lock tailgate up if working inside baler • Never lift a bale without positive control of that bale • Pay attention to crop conditions

22. Prevention • Statewide effort against all types of ATV injuries, not just farm-related • Coordinated • Develop action committee • Encourage farmers to use UTVs

23. Thank Youfor your attention.