HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1993-07-14, Page 10Page 10 Times-AdvoCate, July 14,1993
Safety week beglns July 25, but It must be pretftet
Rollover prevention tips
dew walk away from
tractor accidence
'fX R -With all the effort put
into tractor safety education by man-
ufacturers, government and safety
authorities, it is disheartening• to
find that of -last years farm work-
place fatalities ' in Ontario, - fully
• three -quarters -Were linked to tractor
eusc.
In most instances,_uragedy could-
ehave-been- prevented -by improving
• the operators skill and knowledge of
tractor safety. Overturns accounted
for almost half of Iasi years -fatal
tractor accidents. Rollovers usually
result from one, or a combination,
of several common mistakes,
• Driving too fast for conditions
• Striking surface irregularities,
such•as rocks, stumpseand holes.
attmning into ditches
• ieDriving on steep slopes
• ,-improper: operation of Loader
-tractors. Large round bales and oth-
er overweight loads greatly increase
the overturnpotential .
laths lad. injuries from tractor
overtwns ;could be greatly reduced
to almost nil through -the universal
use of rollover protective structures
(ROPS). However, tractors with-
out ROPS are being used widely.
Other tractor deaths are a result of
riders falling fmm moving tractors.
in many cases it is children that are
the victims of this type of accident.
To ensure this does not occur, never
-allow children -to ride on The fenders
or any where else on the tractor.
There is a reason for having only
one seat.
Regardless of'the .utzards most
tractor accidents result fteen opera-
tor error. ,Every .tractor user should
be thoroughly • familiar with the par-
ticular machine they operate, and
understand the -general principals of
tractor safety. Familiarity can lead
to carelessness. Seasoned operators
have teen, involved: in - tractor. ace i-
, dents when they pushed too hard to
beat the weather or the clock. Every
-tractor operator must be alertand'de-
vote total attention to the task at
hand.
'Paul Gose of
Merton sits
In front of the"
tractor he
was operating.
when he
suffered a
paralyzing
blow from a
bale that fell
from the front
end loader
because of
Inadequate
revers._
Matthew
Turner installs a
vent injury in the case of a
ing three quarters of farm
proper tractor safety.
wither on his tractor to pre -
rollover. Last year a stagger -
accidents were linked to im-
Take time to
EXETER - In Ontario last year,
(three farm workplace deaths result -
cd from Power -take -off (PTO) en-
tanglement. A PTO shaft revolving
at 540 rpm travels more than two
"I knewrght away 1 had been paralyzed''
By Erin Lobb
T -A Staff
ILDER'ION - "It was a- sloppy
wet November day," recalls Paul •
Gose, "I was just putting a bele in
the bale feeder for .the cattle - like
usual." This day however. had a •
definitely unusual ending.
Gose isn't sure if it was his cover-
alls that caught on elle lever or that
the lever was.locked. but the loader
holding the bele. continued to rise.
When the loader reached the top,
the bale rolled off the loader and
rolled over top of Gose. causing se-
vere injury.
"I knew right away that 1 had been
paralyzed from the waist down,"
i $ e
metres in less than a second. It's lit-
tle svlondcr that driveline entanglc-
mentlnenrly always results in devas-
tating injury ordeath.
Missing or damaged shielding is
hydraulic \ accident
leads to fatality for
Ontario farmer
EXETER - Though this years
Faun Safety Week may focus on.
PTO awareness, farm safety encom-
passes much more.
This spring an Ontario farmer was
accidentally killed when the wing of
his cultivator fell on him due to Reid
leakage from the hydraulic cylinder.
The Farm Salety Association wants
to remind fanners to. take extra. pre-
cautions when working with 'hy-
draulic system~.
Before servicing such systems
.keep in mind a few common sense
rules to prevent injury. Always
shut off the engine powering the hy-
draulic pump before making adjust-
• 'AVMs. then lower the implement to
the ground. To relieve. pressure.
move the hydraulic control lever
back and forth, and when working
under implements in A raised poi -
Lion. make sure it is blocked or sup-
ported by something other than the
cylinder itself. Remember to use
caution when releasieg blocks or
transport locks on equipment. If a
cylinder has leaked and lost pres-
sure the implement may fall to the
ground as soon as, locks arc re-
leased.
When checking for leaks in hoses
-,etc. use cardboard or wood. Even a
small amount of fluid under pres-
•aure can be injected through the skin
and cause severe problems, if this
occurs seek medical attention imme-
diately.
Hydraulics related accidents can
be prevented if the proper measures
are taken. Even if your rushed,
stop and use common sense to pre-
vent needless injury,
said Gose. After waiting for about
an hour Gose remembered :that a
TN.—repairman —was--fixing—the
.neighbours antenna, .and- be was
able to shout and to .his attention.
Gose says if the repairman hadn't of
been there he doesn't know how
long he would have been stren ded.
Though Gose has recovered
somewhat from the 1986 accident
he still relys on a wheelchair, and
the tractor he uses has been modi-
fied to accommodate him by chang-
ing the seat and loader. Gose
recommends that fanners use proper
levers on loaders, preferably ones +
without locks. "Uon't be cheap,"
says Gose.
the main reason for PTO entangle-
ment. All shielding components
must be correctly installed and prop-
erly maintained to prevent injury in
case of ttcc'dental contact.
Operator awareness and constant
vigilance are also crucial if PTO ac-
cidents are to be avoided. Clear
safety rules must be established for
everyone who works with farm ma-
chinery. Making repairs while
equipment is operating, stepping
over or onto revolving shafts, and
wearing loose or frayed clothing arc
actions that set the stage for entan-
glement.
Never operate a uactor with a
missing or damaged master shield.
Integral shields on equipment power
shafts must be in place and well
maintained to protect against the
"grabbing" action of driveline and
U joints. Both shaft attachment
ends must be shielded. Universal
joints and stub shafts need to be
well covered.
A PTO may break or separate dur-
ing operation if improperly adjusted
or misused. if it does, the tractor -
driven end can swing vioteeftly,
with potential \for severe damage
and operator injury. Make sure all
replacement driveline cornponegts
meet manufacturer specifications.
The tsactor drawbar should be ad
justed to the length specified in the
manual for the driven machin...
This insures that the• teleax;opuru
safety
powershaft and shield will stay w-
gether when they lengthen in opera-
tion, and prevents the driveline from
bottoming out.
Good PTO safety habits are the
key to preventing PTO entangle-
ment. Some to consider are:
• Always -disengage the PTO, shut
off the engine and reprove the key
before leaving the tractor seat.
• Keep tractor master shield in
place at all times.
• Check frequently to confirm that
integral shields arc in good condi-
tion . With tic power shaft
stopped, you should be able to ro-
tate the shield freely by hand.:.00k
for nicks, bends, or dents that could
catch clothing. Replace or repair the
damaged shields before the machine
is operated.
• Never step across ,a rotating
powershaft. Some equielhent (e.g.
forage wagons, blower�sVapd grind
mixers) niust be operated in a sta-
eonary location where you are
working. Always walk around the
revolving shaft. Safety devices arc
reliable but can malfunction.
• tress for safety. Wear close fit-
ting clothes and keep long hair cov-
ered. Raggy- old coats and long
boot laces can easily be grabbed by
rotating peas.
Though Farm _Safety Week titins
only from the July 25 to 31. good
farm safety should be practised eve-
ryday.
He also suggests that if a farmer
has a piece of machinery that has a
bit of -a quirk. that -it -should -be fixed
as soon as possible, if not the next
person to -operate the machine,
whether it's kids or a hired hand,
who are not aware of it, could suf-
fer an accident. "Once again," says
•Gose, "don't be cheap."
Finally, Gose suggests that you
leave the beer in the fndgc, and.
drink it after your work is done.
Hot-sonea-tired fsrmereandalcohol
don't mix.
Though his wife and two kids oc-
cupy quite a bit of his time, seven
years later, Gose keeps busy play •
-
ing on a basketball team and helping
out his father-in-law with planting
and cultivating.
Mike • - yter holds the ,oily Wok; on the PT 0 shield
which protects him from being pulled in to the running
PTO shaft. Mike knows safety is important, so he
checks his egipnment for proper safety measures regulor-
ly.