A wide variety of machinery is used in Wisconsin agriculture. Every operator needs to be trained in the safe use of each piece of machinery prior to use and have a refresher training each year. Winter time is a good time to assess the machines for needed repairs and missing safety shields or guards. Keeping machinery in good repair helps to reduce the chance of injury.
The Wisconsin Farm Hazard Checklist is a good tool to help you conduct a hazard assessment.
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Operating and Transporting Forage Wagons
- Always use a locking hitch pin. A safety chain is strongly recommended for road travel.
- Shields on PTO drivelines and other moving parts must be maintained in good condition.
- Never enter an operating forage wagon to clean or service it. Gruesome entanglements have resulted.
- Prior to transport, secure the PTO driveline in the transport position. Raise and secure the crossconveyor extension if so equipped.
- Forage wagons should always have a clean, bright SMV emblem for road transport, day or night.
- During hours of darkness, they must have two red reflectors or lights. Lights and flashers on wagons are highly recommended.
- Allow no extra riders on tractor, drawbar, or wagon.
- For safer stops with loads, equip running gear with brakes, particularly for hill and road transport.
- Towed loads without brakes should not exceed 1.5 times the weight of the tractor for road transport.
- When making turns during highway travel, be aware of other vehicles in front and to the rear.
- While traveling on highways, pull off the road safely to allow other vehicles to pass and prevent long lines of vehicles.
Power Take-Off (PTO) Safety
You can prevent power take off (PTO) entanglements by:
- Shutting the PTO off before dismounting the tractor whenever work conditions permit.
- Keeping all shields in place on the tractor and implements. Everyone makes mistakes, gets in a hurry, becomes distracted, or slips.
- Avoid wearing loose, torn or bulky clothing around the PTO or any other moving parts.
- Being extra cautious when using stationary equipment, such as augers or elevators, with the PTO in operation.
- Always walk around the equipment to avoid being near the PTO. Stepping over, leaning across, or crawling under an operating PTO can easily lead to an entanglement.
- Keeping all bystanders away from PTO driven equipment and never allowing children to be in the area around the equipment.
- Checking the drawbar for proper adjustment when hooking up PTO driven equipment.
- Never using nails, cotter pins, or long bolts on the driveline. Any protrusion can catch your clothing and entangle you.
- Disengaging the PTO and turning off the tractor engine before making adjustments or repairs, or when connecting or disconnecting the driveline.