Agriculture Machine Safety

Terms to Know PTO: (Power Take Off). A driveshaft on a tractor or other machinery used to provide power to an attachment or separate machine. ROPS: (Roll Over Prevention Structure). Roll cages, cabs, and roll bars designed to prevent the operator of a machine from being crushed in the event of a rollover. Three Point Hitch: A hitching system on the back of a tractor used to hook up implements such as ploughs. The three point hitch allows implements to be raised and lowered with ease.

Terms to Know Auger: A screw like device used to move grain, silage, and other material. Deadman Switch: A device that will automatically switch off a machine, PTO, or driveline if the driver leaves the driver’s seat. Tines: Prongs or forks on farm machinery such as rakes, tedders, harvesters, and bailers which pick up crops into the machine. Shear Bolts: Bolts that are designed to shear or snap under extreme load to avoid damaging the machine.

Terms to Know Forage Pickup: The device on the front of bailers, harvesters, combines, etc… which pick up crops for processing utilizing spinning tines. Hydraulic Hoses: Hoses containing metal ribbing which carry hydraulic oil to machines to make them move and articulate. Loaded Tires: Tractor tires that are filled with calcium chloride for better traction and stability.

Farm Safety in Canada Farming is one of Canada’s most dangerous occupations. Farming tends to be so dangerous because it is often governed almost entirely by voluntary workplace standards. Individuals working on farms are exposed to an environment with dangerous machines, animals, chemicals, and vehicles.

Canadian Farm Statistics 51% of all machine related fatalities in Canada involve tractors. 66% of fatalities for children on farms involve agricultural machines. Youths aged are most frequently injured in machine entanglements where 20% lead to amputations. Machine rollovers account for 48.6 % of agricultural deaths in children 1-19 years of age.

Tractor Related Injury and Death The most common tractor related mishaps are:  By-pass starting  Front end loader incidents  Rearward rollover  Sideways rollover  Falls from tractors  Tractor runovers  Caught between crushing  PTO entanglements

Tractor Operator Responsibilities The responsibilities of a person operating a tractor are:  Conduct proper maintenance  Conduct pre operation checks  Avoid injury-incident situations  Maintain safety features  Use the tractor as intended  Refuel safely  Start and stop safely  Adjust the tractor for safety

How to Prevent Injury or Death  Ensure the tractor is in good working condition.  Become familiar with each tractor.  Use safety mechanisms on tractor (seatbelt, ROPS, etc..).  Reduce speed.  Be familiar with landscape.  Ensure implements are in good condition.  Dedicate attention to the job at hand.  Fix breakdowns immediately.  Turn off tractor when not in use.  Do no allow people to ride on tractor.  Always hitch to drawbar or three point hitch.  Disengage PTO when not in use.  Use tractor gears to advantage.  Only use the tractor for the job it is intended to do.  Disengage power before working on implements or other machinery.

Common Types of Machine Accidents There are 8 main types of machine risks in Agriculture. They are: 1) Pinch Points 2) Crush Points 3) Wrap (entanglement) Points 4) Pull-in Points 5) Shear and Cutting Point 6) Burn Point 7) Thrown Objects 8) Stored Energy

Pinch points are areas where two or more parts move together with at least one part moving in a circle. The areas where drive belts contact pulleys or sprockets mesh with chains are prime examples of pinch points

Crush points are hazards involving two components moving toward each other. Examples of crush-point hazards are the raising and lowering equipment with a three-point hitch, components that are moved by hydraulic cylinders, and the areas between the tractor and machinery when hitching or turning.

Wrap (entanglement) point hazards pertain to any exposed rotating component. Wrap-point hazards include any type of rotating shaft or driveline. PTO drivelines are prime examples of wrapping or entanglement hazards.

Pull-in point hazards involve mechanisms designed to take in crops or other materials for processing. They include combine headers, windrow pickups, forage chopper headers, and grinders.

Shear and cutting point hazards are areas where two parts move across one another or one moves across a stationary object. Windrower cutter bars and grain augers are examples of cutting and shear points. Burn point hazards are associated with tractors and self-propelled and pull-type machinery. Hot mufflers, engine blocks, pipes, and hot fluids are examples of burn points.

Thrown objects present another type of machine hazard. Metal, glass, wire, sticks, or other materials may be picked up by a machine and propelled with extreme force. Rotary mowers are good examples of machines capable of throwing objects. Stored energy hazards are present in pressurized systems such as hydraulics, compressed air, and springs. The sudden or unsuspected pressurization or depressurization of these systems can result in crushing and other types of accidents, depending on the use of the system. High-pressure leaks are also forms of stored energy hazards.

Implement Safety Farm implements such as bailers, harvesters, mowers/conditioners, rakes/tedders, silage wagons, and manure spreaders contain components that can be deadly if not operated properly. Most of these implements contain PTO drives, cutting blades, augers, and tines/pickups. These devices do not stop for humans and too often farmers are injured and killed with these implements.

PTO Drives PTO drives are mechanical drivelines that can be hooked tractors to drive otherwise inoperable machines. PTO drives spin at a very high speed and can pick up loose clothing, hair, threads, crops, etc…. If this happens, the operator may be pulled into the machine resulting in injury or death.

Cutting Blades Machines such as mowers/conditioners and harvesters have rotating blades designed to cut crops. Without proper guards in place these blades can break or loosen to the point where they are propelled from the machine.

Augers Augers are corkscrew like objects that rotate and move grain and crops forwards. Augers will quickly pull arms, legs, hands, and fingers into machines often resulting in crushing and forced amputation. Always ensure the machine is turned off before working on augers.

Tines/Pickups Machines such as rakes/tedders and harvesters have tiny fork like pieces called tines. These tines are metal but are thin and bendable. Despite their thin construction, these tines spin at quick speeds and have been known to break from machines.

End of Section Questions 1) What are the eight main risks of agricultural machines. Briefly describe each. 2) List at least five of the duties for tractor operators. 3) Why is agriculture one of the most dangerous occupations in Canada? 4) List at least ten of the ways to prevent injury while operating farm machinery.