farm safety

**fordson major** · #1 06/28/08, 09:10 AM

after almost doing a very stupid thing the other day, clearing a plugged forage harvester with the tractor engine still running, (pto's can start inadvertently, never work on any thing hooked up too a tractor or running!)_ thought i would start a thread on what is safe on the farm. never stand under a loader, never drive on the side of the road (shoulder) don't try and stop a rolling wagon with your self (almost lost the fingers on one hand this way!!!).i'm old enough too know better but still too young too err!

THETOOLMAN · #2 06/28/08, 09:44 AM

thats good advice right there.
this time of year seems we do plenty of stupid things.
last week I gashed my leg on an old rusty cutting bar blade _ sharp_ . I had to clean it & sutcher(sew) myself up. Bad gash. to deep to wait for help, to far to drive yourself, all alone on the place so - its a DO IT YOURSELF PROJECT. 10 stithes.
sometimes it would be better to be careful... take my word for it.. don't say you could not sew yourself up.... yes you could if you had to!!Buy a first aid kit & then stock it with drugs & cat gut & needles + surgery kits.t
read the first post & BE CAREFUL!!!!

EDDIE BUCK · #3 06/28/08, 11:50 AM

I agree we DO know better, but I'll still take that old knuckle busting adj wrench and try turning a half rounded head bolt and PEEL THE SKIN BACK on top of my hand,

knowing full well I'm gonna bleed like a stuck hog.I remember back many years and getting hurt not knowing at the time what the danger was.Now this inner voice keeps saying "Don't Do It, Don't Do It"then the blood starts flying. Whats the point in being wise if we ain't' going to put it to use? Atleast me anyway,lol Eddie

pookshollow · #4 06/28/08, 12:30 PM

FORD!!!

Be careful!

When I was a teenager, a neighbour tried to adjust the silage chopper when it was running. Went headfirst into the blades, died pretty quick. I was out on my horse when the ambulance went screaming past me. I won't ever forget that.

When I was much younger, two brothers and their hired hand died from silo gas.

Rick · #5 06/28/08, 12:53 PM

How about...

Always disconnect the PTO shaft before pulling the tractor away!

Good thing I was in 1-1 gear, and checking. That will be the first thing I will disconnect from now on.

Rick

whiterabbit454 · #6 06/28/08, 05:20 PM

dont put ladders up on ice you fall break your back and get paralized this happened to my cousin

Wolf mom · #7 06/28/08, 06:45 PM

Always carry your cell phone - even if you get spotty service. You never know.

LIke the old adage, "measure twice, cut once", check, then check again to see if you're doing something safely.

Me & ladders .....

HockeyFan · #8 06/28/08, 06:57 PM

Just this morning, I saw in the news that a farmer in an area south of Oklahoma City, got off his tractor and was standing next to it with the tractor still running. Somehow, the thing lunged forward, knocking him down and the brush hog ran over him. He managed to drag himself out from beneath the brush hog, but he died on the scene. He never even made it til an ambulance could get there.

Quint · #9 06/28/08, 07:36 PM

When they say keep clothing away from the PTO shaft they really mean KEEP CLOTHING AWAY FROM THE PTO SHAFT.

One second I was wearing a shirt. Next second I wasn't.

sammyd · #10 06/28/08, 07:40 PM

Never put your fingers between the sickle sections and guards when lifting an old mower bar up for transport.

**fordson major** · #11 06/29/08, 06:42 AM

as a rule i am careful around machinery, only takes a second! had a mechanic go through a forage harvester at a local dealers a few years back, put a real damper on any that knew him or heard of his misfortune. keep your seat when driving any implement, used to be common here to see people walking while their tractor square baled hay and they were chucking the bales up on the wagon. silo and manure gases are deadly quick!! one of the things i tell the new recruits is that if they see some one down by a pit is too call 911, we don't need too bury 2! kicked a young lad all over the yard once and reminded him daily for i don't know how long (to this day, a good number of years later i still remind him he was lucky when he stops by the farm here to visit!) , that even though the manure in a liquid pit looked solid and was still partially frozen, you never set foot on the surface of the pit! (the farmers small kids were looking on, they got an ear full as well!!) 3 of the tractors i operate are articulated s, with this type of tractor you do not go into the hinge section (middle) with the engine running, they can suddenly turn a what was wide open space to a narrow space and become a waffle maker, with you as the waffle!

RandB · #12 06/29/08, 09:52 AM

I don't have a specific to add, just all of you, be VERY CAREFUL out there!! In our family, we just passed the one year anniversary of our farmer nephew being killed in a tractor rollover. He was always very careful, too. He was pulling a partially filled tank of liquid on a hillside, the tractor hit some kind of hole, and both went over. It was an older tractor, without a roll-bar. It is still very hard to believe that happened to him, that he is gone.

Minelson · #13 06/29/08, 10:23 AM

Don't run around barefoot...ALWAYS put your shoes on

CowgirlGloria · #14 06/29/08, 01:06 PM

An acquaintance of mine nearly lost his life. He was driving a modern tractor with a roll bar and seat belt. He'd been mowing a pond embankment which was pretty steep. He was off the steepest part of the slope, but still on a slope. He stopped to deal with an equipment issue. He unbuckled his seat belt. That is when the tractor started rolling. It threw him from the tractor. He ended up at the bottom of the embankment, he was pinned UNDER the brush hog, having been hit by the still-moving blades. His leg was very badly broken, with a compound fracture that was bleeding severely.

He was able to reach his cell phone and call for help. And, he was able to retain consciousness long enough to direct the rescuers to his very remote location.

His life was saved by a cell phone.

Couple of lessons to be learned there - be careful where you drive your tractor. Be careful where you STOP your tractor if you are having equipment problems. And, carry that cell phone with you.

Rick · #15 06/29/08, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quint

When they say keep clothing away from the PTO shaft they really mean KEEP CLOTHING AWAY FROM THE PTO SHAFT.

One second I was wearing a shirt. Next second I wasn't.

There I was brush hogging a trail. Brush to the left, lean to the right- brush to the right. Opps there goes my favorite hat 1 foot from the front of the hog...BYE BYE hat.

I didn't even hit the brakes.

crafty2002 · #16 06/29/08, 03:23 PM

This wasn't on a farm but could have been. I went to work with an upset stomach one day and going back and forth to the bath room. Our unifrorm shirts were long as all get out and after a few times to the bath room, I just stopped tucking it in.
I was using a 7" grinder when I felt the fitst little tug. It was just an automatic reflex that kept my belly from getting laid wide open and it cut me pretty good as it was, even through long johns and a tee shirt....
As soon as I felt the first little bitty tug I shoved as hard as I could and the shirt ripped up both sides and down the arms and twisted around my throat before I could stop it. They had to cut it off of me before it choked me to death.
Never wear loose clothing around machines.
And for the ones that have pony tails, if there is any here, a drill press will jerk you into it also. I saw that happen. Tore his face up bad.

There is too many things to even list here. I would have to say the way I try to look at things now day is more like what can possibly go wrong here. It seems like with me, if I don't and something can go wrong, it will do so.

Dennis

Faithful One · #17 06/29/08, 04:08 PM

A person can do is install "saftey stickers" on everything!

The graphic ones that show a stick man getting really "wraped up" in the work.

okie-steading · #18 06/29/08, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HockeyFan

Just this morning, I saw in the news that a farmer in an area south of Oklahoma City, got off his tractor and was standing next to it with the tractor still running. Somehow, the thing lunged forward, knocking him down and the brush hog ran over him. He managed to drag himself out from beneath the brush hog, but he died on the scene. He never even made it til an ambulance could get there.

That wasn't just a farmer, that was Oklahoma State Representative Terry Hyman.

clip:

State Representative Terry Hyman, 56, was found dead Friday night at 10:20 PM on a private property 3 miles south of Leon, Ok.

According to Oklahoma Highway Patrol records Hyman who was operating a 1964 International Farmall tractor, stepped off the tractor, and while standing beside it the tractor lunged forward knocking him to the ground. The brush hog then rolled over Hyman who was able to pull himself out from underneath before passing away from internal injuries.

Representative Terry Hyman was born December 7, 1951 in Gainesville, Tx.

He received a Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, a Master's degree in Political Science and Public Administration at OSU. He later became the OSU rodeo team coach for 13 years as well as coordinator of Freshman Services.

[strongsad

Quint · #19 06/30/08, 01:30 AM

You know, the guys I see around my area who get killed or severely injured on tractors are young whipper snappers or inexperienced people who just bought one. They're guys in their 60s, 70, and 80s who have worked on that tractor all of their lives. I don't know if it is complacency, familiarity, slowing reflexes or advancing age but they seem to be the ones who buy it or nearly buy it with tractors. Oh, there are younger guys who get hurt and killed but for some reason the majority are older guys.

Once when I was a kid a neighbor had both arms torn off by a grain auger. Terribly disturbing for a young kid, or anyone else for that matter, to witness.

feelingsheepish · #20 06/30/08, 12:01 PM

Around here a farmer in his 40's, had been doing it all his life was harvesting corn. He was trying to clear a jammed auger by kicking at it while the equipment was still running, probably not the first time he'd done it. He knew better, but I know the feeling, you think you'll be okay. It was the last field of the season- he was actually harvesting it for a neighbour. There were people on the other side of the field, but by the time they noticed that the tractor was running, but hadn't moved in awhile he was already dead on the ground. After managing to pull his leg out, he bled to death before he could get help.