Tractor roll bars are an important safety tool that help save lives on farms. Farmers who used tractors without a roll bar risk being crushed if the tractor rolls over. Roll bars can cost upwards of $2,000 a piece, while those for John Deere tractors may be sold for $1,200 or less.
Is there any help for farmers who want to purchase this safety equipment?
In some states, those who purchase these roll bars can receive rebates since they are being safer than other users. It’s worth reaching out to the manufacturer and a legal professional to find out of the local government or manufacturers are offering rebates.
How effective are rollover systems?
Rollover systems are 99 percent effective for preventing injuries and deaths when a roll bar is used with a seat belt. When seat belts aren’t being used, the system is still 70 percent effective.
How many rollover deaths are a result of poor training?
Around 80 percent of all tractor rollover deaths involve experienced farmers. Without the system in place, it’s possible to break legs, suffer head injuries, break arms, suffer lacerations or be crushed under the weight of the tractor as it rolls. It should be required to use a seat belt when you have a roll bar installed, because it keeps you in position if you roll. The roll bar protects you from crushing injuries that would take place if there was no structure above you, but it can also cause injuries if you’re not strapped in when your tractor rolls.
With the right safety equipment, you can stay safer on the farm. If you are an employee who has to work with equipment that doesn’t have all the necessary safety equipment and you get hurt, you should be able to seek workers’ compensation payments.
Source: Inforum, “Tractor roll bars help save lives in most common farm accidents,” Don Davis, accessed Oct. 26, 2016