Farming is frequently listed within the top 10 most dangerous occupations in the United States based on fatality rates, with tractor rollovers being the leading cause of death.
“Thanks to the rollover protective structure or ROPS, we’ve made a lot of progress compared to when I was a young farm safety specialist, we’ve seen a dramatic reduction in farm fatalities, and that’s largely because of rollover protection.”
That’s John Shutske, Agricultural Safety and Health Specialist with University of Wisconsin Extension.
“At the same time, we still see a lot of tractors out there without ROPS. Tractors can roll over either sideways, which typically involves either, you know, rough terrain, people hit a rut or they drive over a stump or a rock or, more often, a slope. Any slope that’s greater than, I would say, 12 to 15 degrees is potentially dangerous.”
Other tractor incidents involve PTO entanglements. Shutske says while these are fewer and farther between, we do still see them.
“When they do happen, people underestimate how incredibly powerful. Even something like a, you know, a 45-horsepower utility tractor, you compare that to me as a typical human being, I can generate about a tenth of a horsepower when I’m out there working. If you become entangled with that piece of equipment, if it’s a piece of clothing, if it’s the string from like a hoodie, if I start to get wrapped up, I actually begin to rotate with that shield.”
The most common lost-time work injuries happen when you’re doing something so second-nature you’re not even thinking about it- falls that occur when getting on and off equipment.
“If you fall just a couple feet, yeah, you could sprain ankles, you could break legs when you’re getting on and off that equipment. We always talk about three points of contact. By going from two to three you increase your stability by 50% and if you do slip or fall, you’ve got some additional points of balance.”
Shutske says it’s tempting if you’re in a hurry to jump that second or third step from the top and that’s when we see the sprained ankles and the torn ACLs. As planting season continues, please stay safe out there.
