Friend of ours got caught up in PTO shaft !!

[JDgreen227]

It was about April of 2009 when the news reported that former Detroit Tiger pitcher Mark "The Bird" Fidrych had been killed while working under his ten-wheel GMC dump truck at home. As details surfaced it was revealed he had been working underneath the truck with the engine running and the pto shaft caught his clothing and suffocated him. As one of his fans while he was playing, I recall thinking "What a horrible way to die......"

 

[SandburRanch]

I was driving into a location where a PTO accident had just happened. The ambulance was just pulling out and the driver stopped me to inquire about ice and an ice chest to put an arm in. At the accident scene there wasn't much except a shredded denim jacket and blood soaked soil. The truck driver was attempting to grease a leaking seal while pumping oil off. He lived, minus an arm and do you know two other drivers from the same company learned absolutely nothing from that accident. While visiting with them less than a month later about that accident their general consensus was QUOTE:"Oh well, that can be done if you just watch what you're doing".

I'll never forget that quote as long as I live and that's been nearly 20 years ago.

 

[JDgreen227]

One of my favorite quotes:

"Accidents just don't happen, they are CAUSED".

 

[gtrippleb]

Please enlighten me as I would think that these types of things rarely happen on newer tractors due to all of the safety switches. That is unless the safety switch is by passed. I know that with my SC2400, the pto will stop turning if I leave the seat with the pto on. I could easily see this happening with older tractors but not as much with newer tractors.

When I was younger helping my grandfather make fence, I was also foolish in hanging on the bar to help put down pressure on the auger. Most of the time we would just guide it but there were times when we hang on the bar due to the ground were digging in.

 

[RoyJackson]

Please enlighten me as I would think that these types of things rarely happen on newer tractors due to all of the safety switches. That is unless the safety switch is by passed. I know that with my SC2400, the pto will stop turning if I leave the seat with the pto on. I could easily see this happening with older tractors but not as much with newer tractors.

It may have been more common on older tractors and PTO Drive Lines (many of which had no safety shielding), but it's just as dangerous today even with some of the safety switches. Even in the case of the OP's friend, if he had been on a newer tractor (I'm assuming he was on an older machine since the PTO kept rotating after he was pulled off the seat) and the safety switch did shut the engine down...well, 540 RPM means he would have made 9 rotations in a second...plenty to kill or injure someone.
Also, many tractors have off seat PTO capability...something to consider there too.

So, it's just as important to maintain operator awareness with a 2011 tractor as it is with a 1948 tractor.

 

[300UGUY]

It may have been more common on older tractors and PTO Drive Lines (many of which had no safety shielding), but it's just as dangerous today even with some of the safety switches. Even in the case of the OP's friend, if he had been on a newer tractor (I'm assuming he was on an older machine since the PTO kept rotating after he was pulled off the seat) and the safety switch did shut the engine down...well, 540 RPM means he would have made 9 rotations in a second...plenty to kill or injure someone.
Also, many tractors have off seat PTO capability...something to consider there too.

So, it's just as important to maintain operator awareness with a 2011 tractor as it is with a 1948 tractor.

On my old Farmall H, there are no safety switches, and they were made with stationary PTO operation in mind. I saw a guy get his shirt ripped off on a lathe once. Actually I saw Ralph in the coner, working on the lathe, then a minute later, he was walking toward us with no shirt on!! It took a bit to register what had happened. His shirt was wrapped around the lathe. He was very lucky.

 

[JasG]

Please enlighten me as I would think that these types of things rarely happen on newer tractors due to all of the safety switches. That is unless the safety switch is by passed. I know that with my SC2400, the pto will stop turning if I leave the seat with the pto on. I could easily see this happening with older tractors but not as much with newer tractors.

When I was younger helping my grandfather make fence, I was also foolish in hanging on the bar to help put down pressure on the auger. Most of the time we would just guide it but there were times when we hang on the bar due to the ground were digging in.

It depends on the tractor, if it is a home owner model (Sub-compact/compact) then if he was pulled off yes. Larger tractors though do not have this, utility and farm tractors still have many attachments that you can run stationary or operate from the ground so the PTO will keep running. I have driven some new machinery that all it will do is beep when you leave the seat a couple of times.

 

[brucew44guns]

A Union 76 tank truck driver in Alaska back in the late 70's was pumping a load of fuel off at a gas station that had an above ground tank.. There was a small leak at the packing on the trucks pump, usually it could be stopped with a quick turn of a big nut with a crescent wrench. He got under the running truck to make this happen, got his jacket sleeve caught on the turning shaft where the square headed bolt that holds the shaft to the U-joint is located. In an instant, it tightened, and then just ripped his whole arm off, shoulder and all, even pulling his lungs right out of his chest cavity. The company sent out a notice to all drivers to never go under a running truck that had the PTO engaged-----(no kidding!!) Many a good man never saw it coming, but was instantly dead from these things.

 

[rmk700]

PTO dangers

The dangers of an unguarded PTO shaft - YouTube

 

[canoetrpr]

After watching that I am NEVER going to hook or unhook our touch my PTO shaft with the engine running.

It might take me an extra 30 seconds or 1 min but it is not worth it.