tractor cabin safety usage

8/13/2019 tractor cabin safety usage

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Tractor Safety:Information that could save your life


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There are two main reasons for this.

One, tractors have bulk and power which

instinctively makes people think that theyre

safe. But theyre not.

And, two, a lot of work that you do with a tractor

youre doing by yourself. Youve got a job to do,

you need help with it, but, because youre on

your own, you take risks. Add to this the fact

that you work long hours, often seven days a

week, which can really take it all out of you.

This can be a fatal combination.

Nobody ever thinks theyre going to get hurt.

But remember, you can be killed or you can

be very seriously injured. And if you cant work

you may well lose your farm. Thats a high

price to pay.

So what can you do to be safe around tractors?

No two tractors are the same so advice can vary,

but weve talked to the experts and these are

their tips. The three best pieces of advice are:

Tractors. Very useful. And potentially very dangerous

1. Dont take anything for granted

For example:

Just because its flat, doesnt

mean that you cant roll over

Just because youve managed to

lift a load doesnt mean that the

hydraulics cant fail

Just because youve got away

with something once doesnt

mean that youll get away with

it a second time.

2. Remember the 4 x 2 Rule

If you have the slightest doubt about

what youre doing, take 4 steps back

and think about it for 2 minutes.

3. Always stay aware

Youve probably all been there.

Youve done something a thousand

times before, so you tend to just

operate on auto-pilot. But thatswhen things can really go wrong.

Just remember tractors are not

very forgiving.

If you work on a farm, youre

probably going to use a tractor.

Theyre one of the most important

tools on the farm. Theyre also one

of the more dangerous.


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How not to get run over

Tractors are big, heavy and they have massive

torque. The chances of surviving being run over

by one are not good.

1. Always walk around the tractor and any

implements before you start up.

Children love hanging around and you

may not see them.

2. Never start the tractor from the ground.

Ever. If its in gear and youre in front of the

rear wheel youre going to get run over.

3. Do not disable the safety start systems.

It may be a pain in the backside but sos

spending your life in a wheelchair.

4. Dont leave the drivers seat without

stopping the tractor completely and

disengaging the power-take-off. Makesure that its in Park and that the park

brake is on. Make this a habit.

5. Dont ever get off or onto a tractor when its

moving, even if its just moving slowly. If the

steps are dirty or wet, the chances of slipping

and falling under the wheel are high.

And you reckon it wont

happen to you?

Mark*did what thousands of tractor

drivers do every day: he climbed

down off the tractor frontwards

instead of dismounting backwards.

The problem is that this time he

slipped. It was wet and muddy, his

feet slipped and he landed on his

knees on impacted ground, seriously

damaging the ligaments and

cartilage in one knee.

He was off work for 20 weeks which

meant he couldnt run his dairy farm.

Moving around on his damaged

knee, even though it was operated

on, caused stress on his good knee,

damaging it too. Today he can still

only move slowly and cant carry

anything heavier than 7kg.

He ended up being off work for about

two years, so he quit dairying and

sold off parts of his farm.

* Names have been changed to protect privacy


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How not to get mangled by the PTO

Uncovered PTO shafts can cause serious

injuries and death. It only takes a loose piece of

clothing or a bit of baling twine to get caught

up in it and youll be dragged in. If your tractor

has an uncovered PTO stub shaft it should have

a guard or a thread cap fitted. If it doesnt, get

one fitted now.

Using PTO-driven equipment

ALWAYS turn the engine off while attaching

PTO-powered implements.

ALWAYS have a safety shield on any

drive shafts connecting the tractor to the

implement.

Make sure all people are clear before

engaging the PTO.

If theres a blockage or you need to adjust

equipment, ALWAYS turn off the engine and

disengage the PTO first.

If you get out of the tractor seat ALWAYS

disengage the PTO and stop the machine

completely. If you come in contact with

a spinning driveshaft or the blades of an

implement, it can kill you.

And you reckon it wont

happen to you?

John*had a new tractor. It had just

11 hours on it but it was starving

of fuel and stalling. It was out the

back of the property and John knew

he had to bring it back in to get

the mechanic to have a look at it.

So he headed for home, bleedingthe tractors fuel system every few

hundred metres to keep it moving.

It was while bleeding it for the sixth

time in three kilometres that the

accident occurred.

Getting sick of getting in and out of

the seat, John over-rode the safety

features while standing alongside

the tractor. This was very nearly afatal mistake.

The tractor flew forward pulling his

feet under the back wheel while his

crotch got caught on the foot-peg.

The tyre stripped his clothes off him.

The foot-peg tore out his left testicle.

Then the tractor plunged over a

20-metre cliff taking the two-wayradio with it.

It was 11 hours before the alarm was

raised and John was rescued. He

was in hospital for two weeks and

underwent surgery to put screws in

his hip to hold it together. After that

he was on crutches for 18 months.

Because of the effect of his injuries

John has now left farming.

* Names have been changed to protect privacy


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Driving on the road?

If youre going to take your tractor onto a public road, then there are some things you need to

know. Firstly, youre on the road and you have to follow the rules of the road. Secondly, being on

the road youre going to be mixing with lots of other vehicles all of which have an equal right to

be there. Being bigger and heavier than them doesnt give you any extra rights.

Try not to drive long distances on the road instead use a truck to transport your tractor. If you

do have to use public roads though, here are some key points:

Driving with forks:for anything more than a very short journey, its best to take the forks

off altogether. If you cant do this, turn them inwards and lift them to a middle position

this way you can still see and they wont affect the tractors centre of gravity. If they are

too low, they could get caught on the road surface or hit another car.

Size and weight:If your tractor is large in size or has a gross weight or more than 4500kg,

you may need a heavy licence.

To read all the rules, check out the NZTA guide below for more information.

For A guide for the safe and legal use of

tractors, agricultural trailers and agriculturalmachines on New Zealands roads, just visit

www.nzta.govt.nz and search on publications

and then Agricultural vehicles guide 2009.


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www.acc.co.nz

0800 844 657

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