Safety Procedures for Agricultural Tools

According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, farming is listed as one of the most dangerous professions in the United States. Serious injuries can be sustained during a vehicle rollover or maintenance accident.

Purpose

• Farmers and agricultural workers must be aware of the hazards associated with farm equipment. By using safety procedures, workers can avoid being injured. Some of these procedures include inspecting the equipment before use, having access to operations manuals and keeping equipment in good working condition.

Prevention/Solution

• If a vehicle--such as a tractor--were to overturn, the user can be injured; hazardous fluids may leak from the engine. Four items have to be securely sealed and covered to prevent leaks: the fuel tank, reservoir for oil, battery and the coolant system. OSHA requires that the vehicle should have a seat belt. It has to be resistant to wear and able to keep the driver safety in the event of a rollover.

Other Considerations

• Before any piece of equipment is used, it should be inspected for broken or worn parts. Workers should make sure that all guards are properly installed before using a piece of equipment. If parking a piece of machinery, the engine should be shut off, the transmission placed in "park" and the brakes on. Before fixing a piece of equipment that has become locked up, it should be turned off in the worker needs to wait until all parts have stopped moving.