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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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7
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
ThispaperwasmanufacturedusingElementalChlorineFree(ECF)pulpsourcedfromsustainable,WellManaged
Forests.
Endorsed by the New Zealand Agricultural Health and Safety Council