Severe consequences | As farm equipment gets bigger and heavier, there are more blind spots and less room for error
Better engineering has helped reduce farm fatalities, but bigger machinery presents new kinds of dangers for operators.
Don Voaklander, director of the Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research, said a gradual decline of four percent per year in farm fatalities is welcome news.
A study by the Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting System found that farm operators remain most at risk for accidents, followed by farm children.
The study found children were at greater risk than hired help.
Voaklander said dangers include blind spots on chisel plows with wings, which lead to pinching and crushing injuries.
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“They’re big and heavy so if something fails or if there is operator error, the consequences are more severe,” said Voaklander.
The study identified a gap in equipment training, with the operator not knowing how to handle the equipment or not aware of the proper procedures to reduce the risk.
Voaklander said newer tractors are replacing older tractors without rollover protection.
There are also more protective covers and devices on implements.
“There is a lot less open machinery running in new equipment,” he said.
“Guards are now toggled on and off, where before they were bolted and sometimes were left off.”
