Another clothing caught in PTO shaft death....

[Raised on a Deere]

Any safety info that would indicate how many of those deaths were PTO related. I knew of a couple of cases when I was still on farming with my dad as a teen ager. But flipping over and flipping backwards seemed to be the biggies. Those pto driven hay ballers were the scariest because you sometimes needed to get off the tractor from the rear, (row crop tractor) and go right by PTO to observe something on the baler while it was running. You were going to be near that running pto on a regular basis. On my cut, I get off from the side and like Industrial Toys said, I won't go near the PTO if the engine is even running let alone if the PTO is turning.

I wanted to use the guards but they proved to be just a mess. Wouldn't stay clipped together. Drove you crazy while trying to hook up. I gave up on them. But like a loaded gun it will never hurt you if it is not pointed at you. Just have to be insanely respectful of the danger potential and manage it.

I don't trust casualness around farm machinery.

 

[newbury]

I have PTO shafts with no guards. I just don't go near them, when running, EVER! How difficult is this? I shut a tractor OFF, before touching a PTO. Maybe certain people just should not be allowed around machinery, period. Not saying it's not a really sad accident.

Another alternative is to farm naked.

 

[k0ua]

Another alternative is to farm naked.

with short hair. In all locations.

 

[RoyJackson]

That's why I only wear paper towel clothes when I farm.

View attachment 454329

Rather crude post in a thread about a man's death...

I have a pretty noticeable limp (stroke result) and it doesn't take much for me to trip. I give wide berth to the power take-off when I'm using it as a stationary power source (in my situation, that's when I'm chipping).
My heart goes out to the victim's family...

 

[Cat_Driver]

I know the older I get the SLOWER I work around any equipment, running or not. Even climbing on equipment I make sure I have three points touching before I make my next move. Lately I shut everything down before I make any equipment changes if I'm off the equipment. Most learned from this site an people making simple mistakes and ending up dead.
It sucks for these guys to die - but their story lives on and helps people like you and me and all the young bloods reading these posts and hopefully they will learn sooner than later that they are NOT invisible.

 

[MossRoad]

Any safety info that would indicate how many of those deaths were PTO related. I knew of a couple of cases when I was still on farming with my dad as a teen ager. But flipping over and flipping backwards seemed to be the biggies. Those pto driven hay ballers were the scariest because you sometimes needed to get off the tractor from the rear, (row crop tractor) and go right by PTO to observe something on the baler while it was running. You were going to be near that running pto on a regular basis. On my cut, I get off from the side and like Industrial Toys said, I won't go near the PTO if the engine is even running let alone if the PTO is turning.

I wanted to use the guards but they proved to be just a mess. Wouldn't stay clipped together. Drove you crazy while trying to hook up. I gave up on them. But like a loaded gun it will never hurt you if it is not pointed at you. Just have to be insanely respectful of the danger potential and manage it.

I don't trust casualness around farm machinery.

No breakdown as to cause of death in those stats.

 

[Tractorboy88]

I experienced a near miss about 3 years ago when a young cousin unexpectedly climbed on a running cotton picker. He began to walk across the top of the picker units (as he'd probably seen me do many times), which were engaged and turning slow at idle, while myself and father looked inside one of the units for trouble. One of the turning PTO shafts snagged his jeans. Luckily we could hear his shouts for help and the engine/picker unit was at a slow idle. The old man was able to hold onto him as i rushed to shut down the machine. He ran back to the house without a pair of blue jeans on and badly bruised/blood blistered leg, but alive and intact. He learned a valuable lesson and his grandmother kept the jeans to remind him and his brothers of what can happen. I pray that is the worst i ever experience, but nonetheless on a farm, you have to be vigilant.

On many newer machines, PTOs, separators, drives, etc are controlled electronically.
12 volts and a ground folks. That's all it takes to engage that solenoid and start turning a shaft, auger, sickle bar, belt, pulley, gear, etc.

Think about it, a rat could chew a wire, a wire could rub, a switch could fail, and send power where it doesn't need to be while you're working on that machine.

Sorry for the long winded post. But you can never stress safety enough.

 

[k0ua]

I experienced a near miss about 3 years ago when a young cousin unexpectedly climbed on a running cotton picker. He began to walk across the top of the picker units (as he'd probably seen me do many times), which were engaged and turning slow at idle, while myself and father looked inside one of the units for trouble. One of the turning PTO shafts snagged his jeans. Luckily we could hear his shouts for help and the engine/picker unit was at a slow idle. The old man was able to hold onto him as i rushed to shut down the machine. He ran back to the house without a pair of blue jeans on and badly bruised/blood blistered leg, but alive and intact. He learned a valuable lesson and his grandmother kept the jeans to remind him and his brothers of what can happen. I pray that is the worst i ever experience, but nonetheless on a farm, you have to be vigilant.

On many newer machines, PTOs, separators, drives, etc are controlled electronically.
12 volts and a ground folks. That's all it takes to engage that solenoid and start turning a shaft, auger, sickle bar, belt, pulley, gear, etc.

Think about it, a rat could chew a wire, a wire could rub, a switch could fail, and send power where it doesn't need to be while you're working on that machine.

Sorry for the long winded post. But you can never stress safety enough.

Good post, and a good reminder. Thanks.

 

[5030]

I have lots of rotating stuff besides the PTO shaft when I'm running my 3 point rear mount chipper. I'm always on guard for getting snagged, pinched or sucked in.... 100 ponies running at 540 would be a quick death.

 

[Jaeger]

Nothing funny or to joke about this man's death. Especially with it occurring in front of loved ones.

You gentleman make light of a serious issue. When reminded of these stories, some of us are vividly reminded of all the death we've been exposed to for a long time..

Grow up, and have a little respect for a man who's putting food on your table...