Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) for Wisconsin: Farmer Dies After He Was Entangled in the Driveline Shaft of a Manure Spreader

摘要

An 24-year-old male farmer (the victim) died after becoming entangled in the unguarded rotating driveline shaft of a manure spreader. The spreader was connected to a tractor equipped with a power take-off (PTO), which powered the spreader driveline. The victim was working alone in the barnyard, replacing a bolt on the shaft. He apparently had completed this task, and was standing on ice-covered soil near the rotating driveline. Then, he either slipped and fell onto the driveline, or his clothing was caught and pulled by protruding parts of the rotating shaft. He was spun around the driveshaft, and portions of his clothing were entangled on the driveshaft and torn from his body. His wife approached the site of the incident when her husband had not returned to the farmhouse as expected, and found him entangled on the driveline. The tractor engine was not running. She called to the victim's brother who was working in the barn, and he freed the victim by cutting the tightly tangled clothes. The brother summoned EMS, while the victim's wife began CPR. EMS responded within several minutes. The coroner's office was contacted, and pronounced the victim dead at the scene. The FACE investigator concluded that, to prevent similar occurrences, farm machine/equipment operators should: (1) Observe and follow all applicable safety precautions when operating machinery driven by tractor power take-off equipment, including disengaging the PTO and stopping the tractor engine before approaching the machinery to make repairs, adjustments or perform maintenance. (2) Identify machinery/equipment components that are PTO driven, and ensure that appropriate guards, recommended by the manufacturer or dealer, are installed. (3) Avoid wearing clothing that is loose-fitting, or has loose ends that could be caught by moving machine parts and lead to entanglement.