Jinma 200 series Tractor Users Manual
MCE 2004.01
Preventing Farm Machine Hazards
AEX-593-91
Thomas L. Bean
Each year, 2,600 farm residents are killed and 230,000 disabled in farmrelated injuries, many due to
farm machinery. Farm machinery uses mechanical power to do work. This creates a number of possible
hazards for both operators and bystanders. Even though manufacturers take many steps to make
machinery safe, all hazards cannot be removed. Some machine parts cannot be completely shielded and
still do their job. For instance, a totally enclosed cutting blade could not cut.
Many machineryrelated accidents result from human error. The operator either forgot something, took
a shortcut or a risk, ignored a warning, wasn't paying close attention, or failed to follow safety rules. In
addition, guards removed for maintenance often aren't replaced.
There are many different kinds of farm machinery: mowers, tractors, shredders, harvesters, grinders,
blowers, augers, balers, etc. They all have similar characteristics and hazards. You can be cut, crushed,
pulled in or struck by an object thrown by these machines. They have cutting edges, gears, chains,
revolving shafts, rotating blades, pinch points and other hazards. You can also be injured if you fall
while working on or near any of these machines.
Accidents with farm machinery are often serious, even fatal. It is important to recognize and be alert for
machine hazards and to take precautions to avoid injury.
Shear and Cutting Points
Shear points (Fig. 1) are created when the edges of two objects are moved
together closely enough to cut a soft material, as with a pair of shears or an
auger. Cutting points are created when a single object moves forcefully or
rapidly enough to cut, as with a rotary mower blade.
Both shear and cutting points are created on machinery designed to cut, such as
harvesters, and on those that are not designed to cut, such as augers. They are hazardous because of
their cutting force and they often move so rapidly that they may not be visible, so it is easy to forget
they are operating or to underestimate the hazard.
Because some shear and cutting points cannot be guarded, it is important to be aware of their hazard
and stay alert when they are operating. It is also important to warn others and to look out for their
safety. This is especially true if there is a danger of thrown objects while using cuttingtype equipment.
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Figure 7. Shear Point
