Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) for Wisconsin: Farmer Thrown from Tractor and Run Over by Hay Baler

摘要

A 57-year-old male farmer (the victim) died when he was thrown from a tractor and run over by a hay baler. The incident occurred after the hay baler struck a cement culvert hidden in the tall grass while he was pulling the baler to a field across the road from the farmyard driveway. The tractor had an enclosed cab and a bucket seat without seatbelts. The force of the impact apparently caused the farmer to be ejected from the tractor seat through a door opening in the cab. The tractor continued to move forward, and a baler wheel ran over the victim in the field. The farmer was found by a neighbor who was passing by and saw the scene. Emergency services were summoned, and were onsite within eighteen minutes. The coroner pronounced the victim dead at the scene. The FACE investigator concluded that, to prevent similar occurrences, farm tractor operators should: (1) Select tractors that are equipped with rollover protection structures (ROPS) and an operator restraint system. (2) Conduct a thorough evaluation of the terrain to identify hazards in the pathway prior to beginning an operation with an off-road vehicle.