August 1993
Coming Up!
National Farm Safety and Health Week September 19-25
Tractor Overturn Deaths Preventable
Each year an average of 132 American farm workers are crushed
to death as tractors overturn during operation. Tractor rollovers
occur on slopes and in ditches--when front-end loaders are carrying
loads too high -- when tire spacing is too narrow or ballast
inadequate -- when improperly hitched to loads or after a collision
on a road. A Rollover Protective Structure (ROPS) won't prevent
the turnover but will save your life by preventing death or serious
injury resulting from the rollover. NIOSH reports over half of the
4.61 million tractors in the U.S. lack seat belts and ROPS, 61% of
which were built prior to 1971 when ROPS was introduced. It is
expected that if these tractors are not equipped with ROPS and seat
belts then 2800 rollover-related deaths could occur within these
tractors remaining useful life, an estimated 31 years.
Deere & Company is conducting a special project to
encourage the use of ROPS and seat belts on older
tractors. The company has adopted a 'pass through
pricing' policy for ROPS kits to reduce the cost that may
affect the firm's decision.
Cooperative Extension--Rural Safety Newsletter
Department of Agricultural Education, University
of Arizona Summer 1993
Farming/Ranching with Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is primarily a permanent, nonprogressive
movement disorder with associated cognitive and sensory deficits in
some cases. It develops due to brain trauma suffered during the
period of growth and development. It is estimated that 9000 to
13000 people with Cerebral palsy live on farms in the U.S. CP
farmers/ranchers have various degrees of difficulty with activities
such as: walking on unstable, slippery or narrow surfaces,
maintaining balance, moving quickly to avoid injury, manipulating
small objects and handling livestock. However, CP farmers/ranchers
are able to perform their jobs easily with assistance such as:
1) Tractor mounted power lifts
2) Removal of "hard-to-work-with" animals from herd
3) push button starter switches
4) spreading sand on slippery surfaces
5) installing additional steps/hand holds
6) extensions on controls to compensate limited movement
7) automated machinery
8) tractor, mower or ATV for ease of travel
9) additional mirrors on tractors
10) forklifts for moving heavy materials.
Many possible solutions enable CP farmers/ranchers to overcome
their physical limitations and perform farm tasks well. AgrAbility
offers farmers with disabilities a variety of free services
including worksite and equipment modifications.
-Breaking New Ground Spring/Summer 1993
Cutting Emissions While Cutting Grass
The nation's 18 million lawn mowers produce as much air
pollution each year as 3.5 million new cars, according to
Environmental Protection Agency figures. But they won't for much
longer, if the EPA and the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) have
anything to say about it.
The EPA and EEI have begun a push, with the assistance of
electric utilities, that focuses on conversion to electric lawn
mowers. A cordless electric mower, introduced last year by Black
and Decker, and a second design manufactured by Ryobi, should
encourage public acceptance of converting from gas to electrically
powered mowers. The cordless mower has a run time of about an
hour, and takes about 20 hours and .58 kWh to fully charge. At
$.06/kWh, the cost to the owner is less than $4 per year. Electric
mowers also are much quieter than gas-powered models.
Electric utilities, working with the newly formed National
Consortium for Emission Reductions in Lawn Care, provided 1,000
cordless mowers to customers in exchange for their gas-powered
mowers, which were to be tested by the EPA.
In a related program, Minnkota Power Cooperative (which is
affiliated with 12 electric cooperatives and 12 municipal
utilities) of Grand Forks, ND, has begun a cordless mower giveaway.
Most of the 100 mowers were to be given to system customers through
a June 15 drawing.
The cordless mowers provide an ideal demand-side electrical
management option because their batteries can be recharged
overnight during off-peak hours.
--FEC News and Notes, July, 1993
A Race for the Future -- Sunrayce '93
Bringing together some of the brightest young engineers from
across the U.S. and Canada, Sunrayce '93, sponsored by GM and U.S.
Department of Energy, EPA and Canadian Department of Energy, Mines
and Resources, is a way to encourage the development of
electrically powered vehicles and to train technicians in critical
energy fields.
This year's race began in Arlington, Texas following a 1,100
mile northerly route to the finish line at the Minnesota Zoo in
Minneapolis. The race was held June 20-26, chosen for being the
week of the summer solstice, unfortunately was a week of overcast
skies and scattered thunderstorms. The race was started at 9:00
a.m and ended at 6:30 p.m at the next destination each day.
Maryland was selected for competition among the 36 out of the
60 universities of whom submitted proposals. The cars' design were
very specific. Sunlight was the only external source of power
allowed for propulsion. Only commercial solar cells and lead-acid
batteries (max 5 kWh) could be used (not space-grade solar cells).
Also seat belts, a horn, turn indicators, tail lights, and a rear
vision system had to be functional to meet the Department of
Transportation rules.
The solar car participants helped to demonstrate that
nonpolluting electric vehicles are a part of the future. "I
thought I had seen it all," remarked a senior citizen observer at
the starting line in Des Moines. "This is just unreal. It is like
Star Trek 101. I never thought I would live to see the day when
the sun would power a car, and now I have."
--Iowa Energy Bulletin July/August 1993
Exploding Pig
There seems to be no end to the unusual ways farmers can hurt
themselves. The story that follows is reprinted from a back issue
of the Star-Bulletin newspaper.
Romanian Farmer Hurt by Exploding Pig
"Romanian farmer was hospitalized for three days when a pig he
had slaughtered for his holiday dinner exploded. A doctor who
treated the farmer's wounds said the man had inflated the pig with
gas to make it easier to clean the skin.
Transylvanian farmers usually inflate the pig using the
exhaust of a vacuum cleaner or a pump to tauten the skin and burn
straw to remove the hair and clean it. The farmer's vacuum cleaner
was broken so he used bottled gas and the pig exploded when he
singed it with a naked flame."
The type of gas used to inflate the pig is not identified in
the story. From the circumstances given, it was probably propane,
a highly explosive gas.
--Farm Safety News/Spring 1993
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The above topics are considered to be timely and of interest.
Comments and suggestions are invited. the use of trade names in
this newsletter is not an endorsement of any company or product by
the Cooperative Extension Service, University of Maryland System.
Lee P. Grant, Agricultural Engineering Extension Specialist
Biological Resources Engineering Topics home page
Department of Biological Resources Engineering Home Page