Prevent tractor rollover injuries

Tractor rollovers are the single deadliest type of injury incident on farms. And it is reported that of the 4.7 million tractors in the U.S. today, one-half of them are without rollover protection for the operator.

A tractor can turn over suddenly and if it is not equipped with a ‘Rollover Protection Structure’ (ROPS) and a seatbelt there is a good chance the tractor could crush the driver. ROPS are compartment structures (usually cabs or frames) intended to protect equipment operators from injuries caused by vehicle overturns.

A high number of farming fatalities are due to tractor turnovers. In the Northeast, tractor incidents account for 55-60 percent of farm fatalities and up to 2/3 of those are due to overturns. The elimination of overturn fatalities could result in more than $100 million in annual savings.

The Northeast Center for Agricultural and Occupational Health (http://ropsr4u.com) has a ROPS rebate program that helps make the process of installing ROPS easier and affordable. It is available in New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. ROPS programs have been organized by state Farm Bureau chapters
in Virginia, Iowa and North Carolina.  

— Michael Wolf, Administrator, American Society of Safety Engineers’ Agricultural Branch, www.asse.org.