Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) for Wisconsin: Farmer Dies After Tractor Overturns and Pins Him Beneath Tractor Seat

摘要

An 49-year-old male part-time farmer (the victim) died when the tractor he was using to uproot a small tree overturned on him. The victim was clearing an old cherry orchard that was no longer used for commercial purposes, to prepare the property for other uses. He had previously removed trees with a chain saw, and dug out the stumps afterward. His 1942 Ford 9N tractor was not fitted with ROPS. The victim attached a chain to the base of a small cherry tree, and the other end to the base of the operator's seat. He was in the operator's seat, and apparently accelerated the tractor to pull on the tree. The tractor flipped over backwards, and the farmer was pinned between the seat and the ground. His wife had been waiting for him to join the family for supper, and went to the field when he failed to return. She found him beneath the tractor, and called for emergency services. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by the medical examiner. The FACE investigator concluded that, to prevent similar occurrences, farm tractor operators should: (1) Follow proper hitching techniques when using a tractor for pulling objects. (2) Use tractors that are fully equipped with an operator restraint system and rollover protective structures (ROPS).