Tractors Can Be Deadly Part 2

Tractors Can Be Deadly Part 2

Rick Worthington
Rick Worthington
Continuing our discussion about Tractors today. Farming is one of the deadliest professions in the world.

A high number of farming fatalities occur because of tractors in some way shape of form. Tractors now claim some 125 lives a year in the U.S., according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Chuck Schwab of Iowa State University Extension talks about rollover protective structures on farm tractors, such as anti-roll bars and systems build into the cab structure.

"Alot of things, when you think about safety devices, the state of the arts are the ones where you don't even know they are there. And so when you look at most of your modern tractors, they have a environmental cab, meaning they have a area that is controlled for the operator. All the new ones have ROPS integrated into those nice cabs, and so you no longer see those bars that protect the individual."

--- And he says, safety has come a long way since the first tractors we made.

"So to me it become a sign of the time when safety has become integrated and not as prominent."

--- Tractors still represent the biggest danger on a farm.

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