An 82-year-old male farmer (the victim) died after being run over by a tractor. He was working in a machine shed, repairing the carburetor on a tractor. The tractor was turned off, but apparently left in second gear. After completing some repairs, he stood next to the tractor in front of the left rear tire, and turned the key to start the tractor. The tractor lurched forward and knocked the victim face down to the ground, then pushed and pinned him as it moved forward. It stalled after running into a skidsteer loader in the machine shed, with the left rear wheel resting on his left shoulder and chest. A feed company deliveryman went into the shed to look for the victim after the victim failed to meet him in the farmyard as expected. He found the farmer on the ground, pinned by the wheel. Emergency medical services were summoned and arrived within fifteen minutes. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The FACE investigator concluded that, to prevent similar occurrences, farm tractor operators should: (1) Be seated in the operator's seat before starting a tractor. (2) Place the transmission in neutral or park, set the brakes, and follow the manufacturer's starting procedure. In addition, farmers and farm workers with functional limitations caused by illness or injury should: (3) Seek and use the services of organizations and agencies that provide technical assistance and/or adaptive equipment to agricultural workers with disabling conditions.
Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) for Wisconsin: Farmer Dies After He is Run Over by Tractor in Machine Shed
1999
3 pages
Report
No indication
English