A 35-year-old, male farmer was fatally injured while operating a tractor PTO (power take-off) powered posthole auger. The incident occurred in central Iowa late in the fall of 2005. The victim was working alone in an alfalfa field near his farm home, digging post holes for a fence line. The incident was discovered early the next morning when a neighbor drove by and noticed the stationary tractor with its engine running and no operator in sight. The victim was found about 30 feet (10 m) from the tractor. The posthole auger was still turning about 2 feet (0.6 m) deep in its hole in the ground. Loose dirt at ground level around the auger had been spread away from where the auger entered the ground. A shovel with a broken handle was found at the site and a loose strand of barbed wire snaked along the ground between the tractor and auger. The victims shirts were wrapped around the top of the auger. There was no guard in place in this area where the auger connects to the gearbox output shaft. The incident resulted in amputation of the victims right arm and multiple blunt force wounds. He was dead when neighbors found him. Recommendations based on our investigation are as follows: (1) Tractor operators should disengage drive elements and shutoff the tractors engine before leaving the operators station. (2) Operators, and others, should stay clear when the posthole digger is in operation. (3) Posthole auger drive elements should be guarded with all shielding in place and functional. Work areas should be clear of slip, trip, and fall hazards.
Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Report for Iowa: Farmer Fatally Injured in Tractor Posthole Auger Entanglement
2007
6 pages
Report
No indication
English