Basic Tractor Operation Stats and Facts

FACTS

1. Tractors are leading cause of deaths on the farm, and the most frequent cause of tractor-related deaths is side and rear overturns.
2. Tractor overturn incidents can result in major injuries (crushing injuries, broken bones, and so on) and even death.
3. Side overturns are the most common type of tractor overturn incident.
4. The two major factors at play inside overturn incidents are center of gravity and centrifugal force.
5. Along with rollovers, other injuries associated with defective tractor design include:

• • Runovers—these cause about 60 fatalities annually.
  • Collisions with motor vehicles−these account for about 50 operator deaths and numerous motor-vehicle accidents/deaths annually.
  • Entanglement in moving parts (shafts, pulleys, belts, chains, and gears)—these cause about 10 deaths annually.
  • Driving in hazardous weather conditions or over uneven terrain.

STATS

• If tractors without ROPS are not retrofitted, NIOSH estimates that 2,800 rollover-related deaths could occur during the period that these tractors remain in use (an estimated 31 years).
• The most common type of tractor accident is rollovers—The U.S. Department of Labor (USDL) reports that 44% of farm accidents are due to tractor rollovers.
• Of the 4.8 million tractors currently operated in the U.S., 50% don’t have ROPS or seat belts.
• 1 in 10 operators overturn a tractor in his or her lifetime.
• 80% of deaths caused by tractor overturns involve experienced operators.
• 1 in 7 farmers involved in tractor overturns is permanently disabled.
• 7 of 10 farms will go out of business within 5 years following a tractor-related fatality.
• Tractor rollovers are the single deadliest type of farm accident in the United States. Latest figures from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) said there are approximately 250 tractor rollover fatalities each year.