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Tractor Safety
Introduction
Set 1
Marissa Morton
SAAIP Top Jobs Intern
The Work Environment
• What factors influence farm work and
injury risk?
– Weather
– Work Sites
– Emergency Services
– Personal Hygiene
– Environmental Hazards (such as noise,
vibration, lightning, dust, etc.)
The Work Environment
• What are some physical factors that influence
farm work and risk of injury?
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Young Workers
Senior Workers
Minimal Physical Limits
Physical Exams
Special Care for physical or mental conditions
Transfers to light duty
Dispersion of Workforce
Farm Operators
The Work Environment
• What are some work activity factors that
influence farm work and risk injury?
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Work Hours
Labor and Management Functions
Work Pace
Work Routine
Specialization
Instructions
Holidays and Vacations
Labor Demands
Uncertainty
Agricultural Production
The Work Environment
• Social, Economic, and Political Factors that
influence farm work and risk of injury:
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Lifestyle
Agrarianism
Day Care
Occupational Safety and Health Legislation
Cultural Beliefs about Farm Safety and Health
Market Forces
Self-reliance for safety
Enculturation
Hazardous Occupations
Order in Agriculture
• The U.S. Department of Labor declared in 1969
that many agricultural tasks are harmful for
youth under age 16
• Youths age 14 and 15 may be exempt from
parts of the law (applies to ag. tractors and
some farm machinery)
• Penalty for an employer subjecting youth to
hazardous occupations:
– 1st offense—$10,000
– 2nd offense—$10,000 and/or imprisonment for up to 6
months
OSHA—Occupational
Safety and Health Act
• If a farm operator uses only their own
labor or their own family labor, OSHA
does not have jurisdiction in the operation
• OSHA was effective in 1971
• “Small Farm Exemption” (farms employing
fewer than 10 workers are OSHA
restricted from expending farm funds to
enforce rules)—effective since 1976
Worker’s
Compensation
• Workers Compensation Insurance fund
must be paid for farm operations to cover
medical and rehabilitation costs for
workers injured on the job.
• Cost of the program is high, so employers
should take time to train workers in safety
and see that they have a safe work
attitude.
Worker Protection
Standard
• EPA Worker Protection Standard (WPS)
aims to reduce risk of pesticide poisoning
and injuries among agriculture workers
and pesticide handlers.
• WPS protects over 3.5 million people and
over 560,000 workplaces that deal with
pesticides.
Vehicle Codes
• Rules and regulations vary from state to state
• Some states may define highways and public
roads differently
• Properly using SMV (slow moving vehicle) signs
is very important
• Check load restrictions for length, width, height,
and safety chains
• Be aware of rules regarding farm use only
trucks, riders/passengers in truck beds, and
farm ATV use.
HOOA—Hazardous
Occupations Order in
Agriculture
• Prohibited Work for 14 and 15 year olds:
• Handling animal sires or sows and cows
with newborns in the pen or corral
• Working more than 20 feet above the
ground
• Working with category I and II agricultural
Chemicals
• Handling and using explosives and
anhydrous ammonia
ROPS—Tractor
Rollover Protection
• Required on all tractors operated by
employees since 1976
• Employers need to provide safe operating
instructions and insure that seatbelts are
used by the employee on ROPS equipped
tractors
http://www.bluedogengineering.com/Bluedog-Tractors/ROPS/ROPS-Advert-001.jpg
Operating Instructions
• Operating Instructions that are provided by the
employer include:
– Avoid Ditches, embankments, and holes
– Reduce speed when turning, crossing slopes, and on
rough, slick, or muddy areas
– Careful around row ends, on roads, around trees
– Do not allow extra riders on tractors
– Operate tractors smoothly by avoiding jerky starts,
turns, and stops
– Hitch only to the drawbar or other recommended
hitch points
– Set brakes and use park lock when tractor is stopped
Agriculture and OSHA
• All PTO’s need to be equipped with a
guard
• Accident prevention signs must be
displayed
• Confined spaces should be explained to
the employee (areas such as grain bins,
silos, manure pits, elevators, and
atmosphere storages)
• OSHA website is a good resource for
agricultural related information
Environmental
Regulations
• There are federal, state, and/or local ordinances for the
following areas:
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Water pollution
Air pollution
Drinking water standards
Pesticide rules and regulations
Shifting load violations
Used tire disposal
Trash burning hours and rules
Battery disposal
Oil and fuel spills
Used oil disposal
Sink hole protection
Manure spreading
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*Check with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
for laws regarding these areas*
Safety and Health
Resources
• State Level Resources
– Cooperative Extension Service (offices in
each county)
– Agriculture and Extension Education program
specialists in 4-H and FFA at
– College of Agriculture specialists
– Farm Bureau Safety Leaders
– Department of Health
– State Fire Instructors
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Safety and Health
Resources
• Community Level Resources
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State Police and/or Highway Patrol
County Coroner (investigations for farm-related fatalities)
Regional Department of Agriculture
Local Health Departments
• Private Sources
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Electrical service suppliers
Machinery dealers
Veterinarians
Local doctors and nurses
Ag. Pesticide representatives
EMS
Insurance Companies
American Red Cross