See this excavator operator being lucky !

[Renze]

I ran across this YouTube movie: this guy was saved by miracle on an excavator rollover. The flimsy ROPS collapsed and he was trapped in his seat for a couple of hours it seems.

The guy survived, know that to comfort you before you look at the scary ROPS and seat close up !!!

YouTube - Worker survives excavator rollover

 

[DieselPower]

You ain't kidding when you say "miracle". That guy's lucky not to be a pancake.

 

[dmccarty]

S C A R Y!

Later,
Dan

 

[workinallthetime]

and now he would like a slushy,
ya know i am so guilty of operating my bx23 with the rops down just because of being lazy or in a hurry, with the new b3030 i got you have to unbolt the pins for the for the rops so they stay up.
some scarry stuff on that vid !!!

 

[BTDT]

Might be an opportunity to put a start/safety switch on the rops, where if its in the down position, tractor won't start.

 

[KeithInSpace]

Might be an opportunity to put a start/safety switch on the rops, where if its in the down position, tractor won't start.

Always hate to see the lawyers sink their teeth in to something else. Think of their damage to life in general when I hear my neighbor's deck belt squeal every time they go from reverse to forward on their JD HST Lawn Tractor. What at PITA that must be.

Fully conceding that ROPS are very important and a fully functional part of the tractor, there are also times when it would be nice (and necessary) to put them down...especially when you have a huge "basket handle" like on the BX 22/23/24. Low tree limbs? Hows about the landscape guy that transports his equipment in a covered trailer and the upright ROPS don't fit?

I wear my seat belt nearly 100% of the time on my tractor and in my car. I have leather gloves that go up to my elbows and wear safety goggles to stoke the fireplace (wife's request). Don't need a lawyer to tell me what is safe. Some things are nice, but it can go too far VERY quickly.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Right on, Keith. Seat belt warning buzzers (on cars) are my bane. Let me emphasize that on any public road, or in a parking lot, I wear my seatbelt absolutely 100% of the time. But I have a 1/4 mile driveway and if I want to get the mail or something then drive to the house, I don't need a seatbelt when I'm going 10mph and there is nothing I could possibly hit. Yet Chrysler decided to put the world's most annoying buzzer on my vehicles to yell at me nonstop if I move the vehicle w/o my seatbelt on. Gee, thanks. I'm seriously thinking about finding the buzzer and removing it.

 

[TrippleT]

I think the general consensus is if the ROPS is down a tractor, do not wear the seat belt.
Otherwise, if it is up, wear it. The reason is obvious. If your wearing a seat belt with the ROPS folded down and your head is higher than the remaining ROPS your in trouble in a roll over. It would be dangerous enough with it up to roll over with the belt on.
We have a real incentive here in AR to wear the seat belt in a highway vehicle, a fine of about one hundred dollars.

 

[KeithInSpace]

We have a real incentive here in AR to wear the seat belt in a highway vehicle, a fine of about one hundred dollars.

I have incentive, too. I would have died when I was 16 years old when I got t-boned by a guy doing 70 MPH. As it was, my hip got bruised from the seat belt and my neck was a little stiff the next morning.

And I feel the same way about tractoring. And running my chainsaw. I look like an orange freak with all my safety gear. But it was all worth it when I went for the upper thigh jugular with the tip of my spinning blade...chaps worked perfect and saved my leg. And I didn't even need a lawyer to tell me to wear them! (just my wife.)

Sorry. Soapbox. A fine from the state is not always the best reason to do something intelligent. But I agree...if you aren't protected by the ROPS for whatever reason, it would seem logical that you may not want to be strapped in for the ride. Hopefully the brain kicks in somewhere, though.

I digress. Again, my apologies.

 

[TrippleT]

No apologies needed, one should think more of their life. And yes that should be the greatest incentive.