Safety Tips

[hess]

Re: Safety Tips - Tractor Overturn Hazards

Comparing a tilt-meter with a R.O.P.S. or a seat belt for that matter is inaccurate. A roll bar or a seat belt "protect" the rider, while a tilt-meter can only provide information about the tractor's position.
I think what ddl was trying to say is that the conditions you are working in (how high is the fel, your speed through a turn, the ground conditions, etc.) will greatly affect the probability of a roll-over. A tilt-meter cannot take these factors into consideration. Experience is USUALLY the best teacher.
Having said that, I can see your point, in that our gauges and meters can give us an added perspective that would otherwise be hard to see - as I too have unknowingly "creeped" over the speed limit a time or two.
Alas, I don't need a speedometer to tell me that I'm going too fast to turn into my driveway, but it sure does help distinguish between "55" and "65" as I pass the cop on the side of the road.

 

[Harv]

Re: Safety Tips - Tractor Overturn Hazards

<font color=blue>guess I'm treading on thin ice</font color=blue>

Thin ice will not stop a falling bullet, Steve, but I'll be a tiltmeter would. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[ddl]

Re: Safety Tips - Tractor Overturn Hazards

I think the comparison of seat belts to tiltmeter says it all. Seat belts ROPS actually provide protection. Think about it, if you are driving on a slope, you look at the meter and it says you are safe. the slope increases, and now it reads at the very limit of safety. What do you do, jump off, if the slope increases at any amount, you should fall off the slope if it works, the meter that is, but you do not. So next time, you know if the meter goes to that angle you were safe last time. The whole problem is when the slope changes suddenly, you do not have time to look at the meter to make sure that you should be tipping over, you just tip over. If the meter could predict in adavance that danger is approaching, than you would have a worth well device. A temperature gauage does tell you the engine is getting too hot, but unless you have a flashing light, chances are that you will not notice the meter until you see steam from the engine, than you look at the meter. To make this short, safety is not something you can put a meter on, any safety device must be reactive, that is when the worst happens, you are protective. Safety devices in a manufacturing setting, actually shuts the machine done, but an unsafe action has all ready occured, it just stops futher problems from occuring. Explain how the meter can do any of this. I think the manufactiring can be setting himself up for a large lawsuit unless he clearly tells hie users that this is not a safety device only a indictactor or guess that something will happen.

Dan Lutter

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Safety Tips-Smiles into Tears

Don't Let These Smiles Turn To Tears

In a heartbeat, the most precious members of your family could be injured - or worse - in a farm accident.

Older or retired farmers are more susceptible to accidents since their reaction times become slower. They often repeat chores just as they always have, without questioning the risk.

Young children are vulnerable because they tend to play in work areas around equipment and farm animals. Children visiting the farm are even more at risk due to their general unfamiliarity.

Keep your loved ones safe. Warn them of potential danger and keep them in mind as you work.
{ From JD Ag Website}

 

[scruffy]

Re: Safety Tips - Tractor Overturn Hazards

Dan, if you have a safety on your handgun, and fail to use it, who's at fault here realistically? If you also have that temp guage, and fail to look at it, is it the guages fault? Same applies to the TiltMeter, if you are running a 12 degree slope,(and your pucker factor is 10 degrees) you can visually see that it is getting steeper, are you going to keep going? Come on here, where is the common sense? Yes training IS important, but a big PART of that is the preventative training, i.e. look at the guages, look at the ground you are working, keep a constant eye on ALL factors. It all has to be trained into the operator of any equipment, and due to human nature, repetitive use will degrade that training over time and necessitate refresher training.
No that Tiltmeter will not tell you that you are going to roll...until you hit that magical combination of CG and Tilt...but it will let you know, in combination with your visual accuity of what lies in front of you, your current status, and a rapid calculation of your pucker factor, to STOP when approaching a dangerous combination.
off my bandwagon and back to the stall.

 

[GlueGuy]

Re: Safety Tips - Tractor Overturn Hazards

I agree totally with that concept. In fact, the R&B tiltmeters are colored with white/yellow/red for safe/caution/danger areas. Myself, I would be keeping an eye on the meter if I felt at all like I was tipping too much, if the meter moves into the yellow zone, that should be a clue to me to look ahead and back off, not to go merrily along...

The GlueGuy

 

[JOR_EL]

Re: Safety Tips - Tractor Overturn Hazards

[[[Thin ice will not stop a falling bullet, Steve, but I'll be a tiltmeter would. ]]]

Harv, how do you mount the tiltmeter on the bullet?? /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif (And doesn't this make shooting awfully expensive?? ...even WITH the TBN discount!)

/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Larry

 

[JOR_EL]

Re: Safety Tips - Tractor Overturn Hazards

Dan,

[[[I know I will get lots of Sh_t from you all but safety is not something I can just buy a meter for and drive around with my head in a bag.]]]

I'm not missing your point, ...but my tiltmeters did NOT come with a bag.

I don't plan to stop looking-at/ thinking-about what I'm doing simply because I've got one more source of potentially helpful information on the machine.

I find it difficult to understand why you speak as if tiltmeter users are looking to turn over all responsibility for judgement and safety to a ball-bearing in a tube. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

For my part, I don't plan to operate my tractor with my head up a bag (or up anything else)!

And just because someone/something can't "protect" me when I've done something dangerously stupid, ...that doesn't mean I wouldn't appreciate some warning when I might be about-to! /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

Hey, ... what if I've been riding the tractor too-long, and the "seat of my pants" is ASLEEP?? /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

I've lived through the invincible "Damn the torpedoes" years, ...not sure I always deserved to, but I appreciate being in one piece.

I'm older now, with still a lot of things I'd like to stay healthy-for, and I'll take all the help I can get to remember that THESE THINGS ARE DANGEROUS!

Thanks to all who have taken time to share opinions/links on safety issues here on TBN!!

Larry /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[RBManufacturing]

Re: Safety Tips - Tractor Overturn Hazards

Hi ddl,
Rick here. The instruction sheet that comes with every meter
says to operate the tractor at 5 degrees less than limit.
We use the a.n.s.i. standard as a starting point. (20 degrees
static.). We also say that an implement like bucket etc.
will change that limit. We mention that washouts etc. will
also change that limit. We recommend that all wheels be
out to widest point. We recommend that all tires are fully
inflated. We ask that wheel weights and frame weights be
used when possible. We advise that the meter will NOT
prevent a roll-over. Its sole purpose is to show a degree of
slope, so an intelligent decision may be arrived at by the
operator. If I'm on a 15 degree slope, with a belly mower,
and familiar ground, I personally would proceed with caution.
If I'm on that same slope with a front end loader, my decisoin
would be to stay well below that 15 degrees. How do I know
it's 15 degrees? I checked it with my meter without the loader
attached. And by the way, we make a beeper module that
can be mounted anywhere on a tractor, that will set off a
beeper, light, etc. when a preset limit is reached. We just
introduced our latest version, that is now electronically
dampned as well as mechanically dampened. So even if
someone does operate the tractor with head in bag, it will
let you know. I even have access to a voice module that
will play a recorded message when activated. Combined with
our tilt module, it can say something like " Hey big boy,
your about to go belly up". Or whatever colorful message
you like. The tiltmeter is not the answer to ALL roll-overs.
But it can prevent some types of roll-overs if used
properly. Rick

Rick Hedgecock
R&B Manufacturing
http://www.tiltmeter.com
(816)587-9814

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Safety Tips - Tractor Overturn Hazards

Rick,

What is the average slope/angle/pitch a tractor can travel before side rollover occurs? Also front/back rollover? {I realize multiple factors have to be taken in consideration, but just wondering if your company had any averages.}

Do you have formula's that I could input in a spreadsheet that will determine the above? {Inputting data such as: rear wheel width, tractor length, tractor weight, drawbar height, tractor center of gravity point {how determined - other formula's}, implement weight, etc.}

Lastly, any formula's to convert between slope/angle/pitch?

Thank you Rick.