THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF TRACTOR FATALITIES
                     ARE CAUSED BY ROLLOVERS

                       John W. Bartok, Jr.

*PLEASE NOTE: THE EDITOR HAS INCLUDED CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONAL

NOTES.

Are your tractors protected by Roll-Over-Protective Structures (ROPS)? This steel frame which may or may not contain a cab will protect the tractor operator in the event of a tractor rollover if he or she is securely fastened in by the seat belt.

Approximately 400 deaths occur each year in the U.S. from tractor overturns. Many tractors are used on farms and in the greenhouse/nursery industry for material handling, pulling trailers and power accessory equipment. Most operations at least have one.

Although all U.S. tractors manufactured today require a ROPS, machines that were built before 1977 are exempt. (*There are some foreign manufacturers who still sell tractors in the U.S. without ROPS.) More than two thirds of the tractors still in use don't have this protection.

• The U.S. farm equipment manufacturers, through EMI, agreed in 1986 to no longer sell tractors without ROPS. OSHA requires that employees who drive tractors manufactured after October, 1976 that the tractor be equipped with ROPS. There are no ADAE standards or other Federal standards that require ROPS on tractors. thus, not all tractors are legally required to have ROPS today.

Tractor overturns happen very quickly, faster than a person can react. In a backwards tip, you have less 3/4 second to take corrective action once the front wheels leave the ground.

OSHA has established nine safe operating practices for tractors used in agriculture which will help to reduce injuries and fatalities resulting from overturns. *All employees operating tractors should be made familiar with these procedures in addition to safe operating procedures contained in the operator's manual of the tractor they will operate.

1. Securely fasten your seat belt if the tractor has a ROPS. The

   seat belt is intended to hold you in the seat if an upset occurs. They are very few known fatalities that have occurred to operators wearing a seat belt. Deaths usually occur when a person is thrown from the seat and is crushed by the tractor.

2. If the tractor is not equipped with a ROPS, don't wear a seat

   belt. In this case the seat belt eliminates the operator's chances of being grown clean off an overturning tractor.

A new Rollover Protection Directory published by the National Farm Medicine Center at Marshfield, Wisconsin and available in the Cooperative Extension offices throughout the country lists 23 manufacturers of ROPS, the models of the tractors that they fit most tractors still in use. Prices vary from about $3000 for an older tractor protective frame to several thousand dollars for a cab type ROPS for a newer model.

3. Where possible, avoid operating the tractor near ditches,

embankments and holes. Banks or ditches and gullies often give way if the tractor is driven too close to the edge. A rule of thumb is to be at least as far from the edge of the ditch as it is deep. When operating around a ditch, look ahead for holes, stones and wash-outs.

3. Reduce speed when turning, crossing slopes and on rough, slick

or muddy surfaces. Centrifugal force causes many tractor upsets. The danger of overturning increases four times when the speed is doubled while turning.

When operating a tractor with a loader, keep the bucket as low as possible and watch for holes or rocks that might cause an upset.

4. Stay off slopes that are too steep for safe operation. Most

tractors have a high center of gravity making them unstable on slopes. To increase stability set the wheels at their widest setting or add dual wheels. Travel up and down the slopes rather than across it.

5. Be especially careful on highways. All tractors and equipment

should be equipped with a Slow-Moving-Vehicle (SMV) emblem to warn motorists. Direction signals or hand signals should be used. A rear view mirror helps keep track of rear approaching vehicles. Be sure that brakes are adjusted properly and locked together.

6. Do not permit others to ride. Tractors have a seat that is

designed for only one person. Many heartbreaking accidents have occurred to passengers on a tractor. Observe the NO RIDERS rule.

7. Operate the tractor smoothly - no sudden turns, starts or

stops. Rapid engagement of the clutch or quickly shifting a hydraulic transmission to high speed could tip the tractor backwards especially when towing a load or starting up a slope. Severe braking at high speeds can cause fish tailing or jack knifing.

8. Hitch only to the drawbar and hitch points recommended by the

tractor manufacturer. Hitching above the normal drawbar may cause a tractor to tip over backwards because the tractor pivots about the contact joint of the tire with the ground. The operator usually doesn't have time to jump clear and can be crushed.

9. When a tractor is stopped, set brakes securely and use park

lock if available. Make a habit of shutting off the tractor, setting the parking brake or shifting to park and removing the key when leaving the seat. This will keep the tractor from rolling from a parked position.

Tractors are important tools that help us to be more productive and efficient. They have to be operated within the limitations and the capabilities of the operator.

Safety in the final analysis is largely a matter of common sense and training. Be sure that you and your employees understand and follow the basics of safe tractor operation. This will help to reduce the high number of fatalities that occur each year.

%f TITLE;THE HIGHEST PCT OF TRACTOR FATALITIES ARE CAUSED BY ROLLOVERS %f COLLECTION;FARM SAFETY
%f ORIGIN;UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
%f DATE_INCLUDED;OCTOBER, 1993
%t THE HIGHEST PCT OF TRACTOR FATALITIES ARE CAUSED BY ROLLOVERS