College of Agricultural Sciences and Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station
Modern farm tractors are the workhorses of agriculture and the safety advances made in their construction in recent years make them safer than ever. But tragic accidents do still occur on a regular basis. According to OSHA there are 200 tractor-related deaths annually that happen in the U.S alone along with many more accidents that result in serious injury.
These accidents don’t need to happen. Make sure that you don’t become part of these unfortunate statistics by following these basic guidelines; train all operators on tractor safety issues and the proper use of the particular piece of machinery, be sure that the tractor is serviced regularly, and be sure that all safety devices are installed and used properly.
Each CAS unit that utilizes tractors in their operations should have a policy detailing who is authorized to use a tractor, training requirements, service schedule, or any other information pertinent to the safe use of their machines. At a minimum, all operators must demonstrate the skills necessary to operate each piece of equipment and must be trained annually on the nine points of safety as outlined in the SAIF Tractor Safety Elements video listed below.
Below are resources and guidelines available relating to tractor safety and operation.
CAS Health and Safety Training Manual – Operating a Tractor
OSU Tractor Safety Training PowerPoint
SAIF Tractor Safety Video (Oregon OSHA agricultural employer requirements)
Oregon OSHA Division 4 Rules (related to tractor operation)
- Sub G, Health/Environment
- 437-004-0630 Noise Exposure
- Sub O, Equipment Guarding
- 437-004-1910 General Equipment Guarding
- 437-004-1940 Farm Field Equipment
- 437-004-1970 Farmstead Equipment
- Sub U, Vehicles
- 437-004-3410 Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Vehicles
- 437-004-3430 Training for Agricultural Tractor Operators
*Train at the initial assignment of driving duties and at least annually after that
Penn State National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Program
Penn State - Organizing and Conducting a Safe Tractor Operation Workshop