ROPS Cab Safety

MHarryE · Feb 4, 2019

Somebody once asked me about pictures where a ROPS saved a life. I was sorting pics and found this accident. Operator normally would have been compacting this slope driving up and down but in this case he was near the top compacting along the slope. The slope is not steep enough to overturn the machine but it slid down the slope. The corner of the drum dug in at the bottom and the momentum was enough to give a pretty violent crash. Put back into operation after turning upright and replacing the rear cab glass.

mddorange · Feb 5, 2019

Was the driver wearing his safety belt? Was he hurt from the glass?

I know he had to change his clothes.

I was sure thankful for the ROPS on my tractor when it rolled over. Probably saved my life. :thumbsup:

cqaigy2 · Feb 5, 2019

That gives me a headache, looking at it. I'm pretty sure ROPS saved me a few times from big limbs falling out of trees. My tractor's loud, but the limb hitting the ROPS really woke me up!

MHarryE · Feb 5, 2019

They sent pictures and accident report. No fatality or serious injury so I just filed it with permission from legal. In Australia. I can’t recall on safety belt usage. It’s surprising how well cab stood up because in tests it deflected quite a bit under load but it is designed to protect a 40,000 pound version and this one is only 26,000 pounds. From experience you don’t have much time to think about anything except “I’m going to die” and it’s all over. My recollection is next thing sitting a bar discussing what the h... happened.

groundcover · Feb 5, 2019

Looks like the Bobcat I laid on it’s side years ago !

MHarryE · Feb 10, 2019

One year we had a major project going and I was allowed to create an incentive plan for the project leader. One of the goals I set for him was completing xxxx endurance test hours before putting in customer hands. When the first proto was ready the ROPS designer missed their goal. Jacques begged me to let them start testing without ROPS. I said no, have Gerard, our top mechanic figure out how to fit a ROPS from our current production machine if nothing else. Jacques was upset because it could mean money in his pocket but Gerard did a good job. A couple weeks later another engineer of mine and I were having a beer when he asked if Jacques told me about the accident. I said no. Daniel then told me the first day at the proving grounds the operator was goofing off (running endurance test is boring) and flopped the machine on its side. They had to have an operator testing a wheel loader come lift it back upright. Glad I stuck to my guns. By the way, Jacques maxed out on that portion of his incentive plan.

vvanders · Feb 11, 2019

MHarryE said:
One year we had a major project going and I was allowed to create an incentive plan for the project leader. One of the goals I set for him was completing xxxx endurance test hours before putting in customer hands. When the first proto was ready the ROPS designer missed their goal. Jacques begged me to let them start testing without ROPS. I said no, have Gerard, our top mechanic figure out how to fit a ROPS from our current production machine if nothing else. Jacques was upset because it could mean money in his pocket but Gerard did a good job. A couple weeks later another engineer of mine and I were having a beer when he asked if Jacques told me about the accident. I said no. Daniel then told me the first day at the proving grounds the operator was goofing off (running endurance test is boring) and flopped the machine on its side. They had to have an operator testing a wheel loader come lift it back upright. Glad I stuck to my guns. By the way, Jacques maxed out on that portion of his incentive plan.

:thumbsup: Good on you for sticking to your guns on that call.