Tractors are the most common cause of machine related deaths on the farm. In this video we are going to talk about one type of tractor-related event and how to prevent them .
A male dairy farm was found lying in the tracks of his tractor with tire marks over his body . He had been using a large tractor with a manure spreader attached to it. The starter on the tractor had been malfunctioning . The starter required a jump by hotwiring the battery directly to the starter. Doing this bypassed the relay . The starter was located on the right side of the tractor near the front axle. Unfortunately, the tractor had been left in gear . When the engine started, the tractor took off - crushing the farmer.
Unfortunately, this type of incident is not unusual, there were 10 deaths between 2011 and 2020 where an individual was run over after starting their tractor . To prevent similar events, start tractors only when you are on the tractor platform sitting in the operator’s seat . For the dairy farmer, due to the malfunctioning starter, this was not possible. However, the following safety checklist may have saved his life . Before starting the tractor: check the engine throttle position; disengage the clutch; shift transmission into neutral or park; set the brakes; and ensure the power take off is disengaged.
Farming can be a dangerous job but there are ways to reduce your chances of injury or death . More information on how to keep you, your family, and your workers safe can be found at the website : oem.msu.edu/index.php/work-re...