oklahoma farming fatality
New Rollover Protective Structure Helps Decrease Tractor Rollover Injuries
Accidents involving tractor rollovers are amid the highest reasons behind farm and agricultural fatalities. Around 80 percent of accidents resulting in injury on farms stem from a tractor incident, and many of those include a rollover. Operators can take precautions to decrease the risk of rolling over, such as maintaining a slow speed, making turns and maneuvers slowly, refraining from making turns while moving uphill, and gaining a solid command over the vehicle through practice prior to operating it in a working environment. Outside of a driver’s operation, the most efficient measure to prevent rollovers is known as a Rollover Protective Structure (ROPS).
The structure is basically a specially designed metal bar that protects the rider in the event that the tractor tips over. After being manufactured, an ROPS is put through thorough tests by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers to verify that the unit will sustain numerous levels of impact on the shielded area around the operator. Be sure to confirm a valid certification for a ROPS with the dealer. Homespun apparatus used as a substitute are not adequate and can even put an operator in additional peril due to amateur design defects or installation flaws. In combination with a ROPS system, tractor operators must use safety belts at all times to ensure protection in an accident.
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Farming Accident Claims Life of Oklahoma Man
An unfortunate accident claimed the life of an Oklahoma farmer, according to KOCO.com.
The farmer, who was working in Jackson County, was operating a machine that compresses large amounts of cotton into bales at the time of his death. The specific details of the accident are unknown. The farmer was flown to an Oklahoma City hospital and pronounced dead on arrival.
Farming is a dangerous profession. Agriculture’s death rate is first among all occupations in the United States. Mining is second and construction is third. In 2007, the last year for which statistics were readily available, 715 deaths were attributed to agriculture and 80,000 disabling injuries occurred in the agriculture profession.
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