The California Farm Bureau Federation and the State Fund have teamed up to
create a series of three Tractor Safety video programs.
The goal is to eliminate tractor-related accidents.
But, safety does not come as easily as watching a video.
We need you to create a safe working environment for
yourself, your co-workers and your own family.
And that means taking some of the common sense messages in these
safety programs and applying them in your daily work.
Thank you for watching.
Good morning, sir.
I stopped you cause your slow moving sign is not on your vehicle.
Do you have your drivers license sir?
I'm going to issue a citation for this.
Each year accidents involving farm tractors and other farming vehicles on
public roads result in fatalities and many serious injuries.
According to the National Safety Council, about one-third of all fatal
tractor accidents occur on public roads, and of these fatalities about
half involve collisions with other vehicles.
Some of the most common causes of accidents are
visibility, the day and night driving, with out their lights, reflectors,
no flags being displayed on the outer edges, without having the
slow moving emblem displayed on the rear of the vehicle.
It has to be set on base and no lower than three feet
and no higher than five feet.
The way to start every session with a tractor is to perform a pre-operation
check to make sure that the fundamental systems are working
correctly.
The last place you want to find out that your tractors not working right, is in the field
or the highway.
Keep the tractor in good repair, including replacing safety decals if
they can not be read or understood.
Look at the tires: Check for cuts, punctures or excessive tread wear.
Check the ROPS for loose bolts or bad welds.
Make sure all guards and safety shields are in place.
If your using a PTO or Power take off device, be sure to check if the PTO shield is in place
and spins independently of the PTO shaft.
Do this check manually, before starting up the engine.
Next check the fluid levels and look for leaks; including oil,
water, fuel, steering system,
and the hydraulic system.
If you note low fluid levels or see excess spots on the ground under fluid
reservoir you may have a problem that needs attention.
Look for loose connections and damaged parts.
Test and check the running lights, headlights and turn signals.
Test the flashing warning lights -- especially
if you plan driving on the roads or highway.
Make sure the SMV - or Slow Moving Vehicle sign is in place and visible.
Know where the emergency shut-off is and how to use it.
If things are not ship-shape don't run the tractor.
Notify your supervisor or foreman about any potential
problems with your tractor.
It is for your own sake as well as the sakes of your
family and co-workers.
A few points must be made before we begin working the farm.
First of all, never use drugs, whether legal or not, before operating a tractor.
The same goes for alcohol.
These substances can effect a driver's alertness, coordination and judgement.
A tractor operator on prescription, or over-the-counter medications needs to get specific medical
advice about the effects of medications before beginning work.
Before you get your tractor on the road you need to take the time to get
the machine road-ready.
The higher speeds necessary on streets, highways
and roads require setting up the tractor differently than for the
field.
First off, make sure the SMV sign is clean and visible.
This sign is for use only if you will be driving slowly
on public roads.
If you'll be traveling over 25 miles-per-hour be
sure to remove your SMV sign.
If necessary, adjust the toe-in setting on the front axle.
Check the manufacturer's manual for details.
Next, balance the tractor with ballast depending on the load you will be
carrying or pulling.
This should improve the machine's stability and
handling on the road.
Lock the steering brakes together.
Failure to do this could result in the tractor pulling hard to the left or
right in an emergency stop, which could easily cause you to lose
control.
Disengage differential locks, and if the tractor is a four-wheel-drive
model -- switch over to two-wheel drive.
Be sure to plan your route.
Know exactly which streets and roads you
will be using before you depart.
You are just about ready to hit the road.
Test one time that the steering brakes make straight stops.
If you are driving a roll-over protected machine -- be sure to buckle
up.
This simple procedure has saved many lives.
When getting ready to enter a road or a highway be sure to stop and look
both ways.
Wait for traffic to clear before pulling out.
Turn on your flashers and running lights.
The more visible you are to other drivers, the safer you will be.
When operating an unfamiliar tractor go slower than usual until you gain
experience with the controls and operating characteristics of the
machine.
Keep your tractor in your lane and not half way on the shoulder with the
other half in the traffic lane.
Keep to the right of your lane and drive at
a slow and steady pace.
When a group of cars forms behind you find a safe place to pull off and let
them pass.
When traffic has cleared you can get back on the road safely.
Do not motion or wave for traffic to go around you.
Your hand-signals can be misunderstood and you could end up
causing an accident.
Your responsibility is to drive safely and
drive by the rules.
Approach intersections slowly and clearly signal what you intend to do
well in advance.
Always keep the tractor's transmission in gear.
Never coast with the clutch in, or the shift lever in neutral -this
places too much of the work of slowing the machine on the brake
system and can easily lead to losing control.
Be careful and take your time when leaving the road.
Ditches, culvert basins, logs, holes, and other obstacles sometimes appear
as if out of nowhere.
If the weather becomes so inclement due to fog, heavy rain, wind and dust.
My suggestion is to not operating those vehicles on the
road if you can not see a thousand feet.
Vehicles traveling at sixty miles an hour coming up
behind are traveling at eighty eight feet per second.
And, the distance closes very fast, between sixty and
twenty five miles an hour.