Tractor Safety (Dr. Tim Page) LSU Ag Center
Farm safety should be a year-round priority. Sometimes we neglect to keep it at the forefront. Agriculture can be a dangerous business if we do not take the proper safety precautions. Every year we hear about tractor accidents with our producers. We should take
every opportunity to remind them in order to keep them safe. This subject is near and dear to my heart. My mother lost her leg in a tractor accident when she was 12 years old. I found the 10 Commandments of Tractor Safety somewhere years ago. I do not remember where I got it but I thought it was time I shared it with everyone. Make sure all tractors have fully operational rollover protective structures. Operating a tractor equipped with rollover protection and a fastened seatbelt is considered to be effective in preventing serious injury and death due to rollovers. According to the National Safety Council, if all tractors were equipped with rollover
structures and a safety belt, about 350 lives would be saved annually.
10 Commandments of Tractor Safety
1. Know your tractor, the implements and how they work. Read and understand the operator’s manual before operating the equipment, and keep equipment in good condition.
2. Use rollover protective structures and a seatbelt whenever and wherever applicable. If your tractor has a foldable rollover protective structure, fold it down only when absolutely necessary, restore it and lock it again as soon as possible. Do not wear the seatbelt when the rollover protective structure is folded.
3. Be familiar with your terrain and work area. Walk the area first to familiarize yourself with it, and drive safely. Use special caution on slopes, slow down for all turns and stay off the highway whenever possible.
4. Never start an engine in a closed shed or garage. Carbon monoxide in exhaust gas is colorless, odorless and deadly.
5. Always keep your power-take-off (PTO) properly shielded. Make it a habit to walk around your tractor and PTO-driven implement. Never walk over, through or between the tractor and implement, especially if either is running. The PTO rotates with enough speed and strength to kill you.
6. Keep your hitches low and always on the drawbar. Otherwise, your tractor might flip over backwards.
7. Never get off a moving tractor or leave it with its engine running. Shut it down before you leave the seat. As you can imagine, a runaway tractor can be extremely dangerous.
8. Never refuel while the engine is running or hot. In addition, do not add coolant to the radiator while the engine is hot. Hot coolant can erupt and scald.
9. Keep all children off and away from your tractor and its implements. Children are intrigued by tractors, but it is not child’s play.
10. Never be in a hurry or take chances about anything you do with your tractor. Think safety first; then take your time and do it right.