ROPS fell off!!!

[wasabi]

A fellow who has been helping me with road work has an old 128? HP Oliver with what we think must have been an after market ROPS (two 4 x 4 steel uprights and a canopy). Saturday, his son was on the tractor, scaping the road, not bumping into anything at all, when the ROPS broke free of its welds and simply fell straight down, bumping his head in the process. It could have been much worse!! /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif We looked at the welds and from the worn spots it was apparent this was an "accident waiting to happen" for some time. Although this should never happen at all, I'm glad it didn't happen when the ROPS was actually needed! CHECK YOUR WELDS, especially on older equipment, and be careful out there!!!

 

[Hillbilly]

Is the boys head alright?

 

[wasabi]

Yes, he will be fine. I didn't actually see it but his dad said he got a nasty lump. ... insisted on helping his dad throw the offending ROPS into the back of his truck and in the process sliced his thumb on the jagged broken weld....Stubborn young fella wouldn't go to the doctor for either the bump or the slice....they used butterfly bandages on the thumb and ice on the bump....he is reportedly healing well, no worse for the wear. It worried me that it could have been far, far worse...someone could have been decapitated by that mass! ...the idea of being injured by supposed safety equipment is scary!! Much too close for comfort, but a good eye-opener nonetheless!

 

[Hillbilly]

I hate to hear of anyone getting hurt...especially kids.