Tractor safety

The farm tractor is considered the farmer’s best friend by many, but it is often the agent of injury or death. Tractor injuries accounted for 16 percent of all agricultural machinery-involved injuries in North Dakota during a recent three year period and nearly 25 percent of the fatalities, according to George Maher, Agricultural Safety Specialist at North Dakota State University.

There are several types of tractor mishaps that result in injury, from by-pass starting to front end loader incidents, rearward and sideways tractor rollovers and improper hitching.

Farm operators can prevent these accidents by maintaining their tractors and adjusting them for safety. Operators should conduct pre-operation checks to insure the tractor is in good operating condition. They should wear seat belts and be familiar with tractor safety features, including ROPS (rollover protective structure), posture designed seats, lighting for hallway and field, SMV (slow moving vehicle) sign, flashing amber hazard lights and turn signals.