Farm Tractor Safety Training

Nationally, 500 to 600 people are killed each year in farm tractor related accidents, according to a publication released by Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service. Farm tractor safety training is imperative to reduce the incidence of death and injury when working with farm tractors.

Importance

• A health and safety publication by the Iowa State University Department of Environmental Health and Safety reports that tractors are the main cause of death on farms. Proper education and training are necessary to prevent death and injury from improper tractor operation.

Availability

• Tractor safety training is available through the National Ag Safety Database website. The Future Farmers of America, farm equipment dealers and county extension services have tractor safety programs available.

Considerations

• The University of Minnesota reports that five or six children a year are killed on Minnesota farms. The proper safety training for adults and children could reduce or eliminate these tragedies.

Types

• Tractor safety training is available not only to teach farm workers and their children tractor safety, but also to educate emergency responders in handling agricultural accidents.

Benefits

• The most important benefit of tractor safety training is reduced death and injury. Other benefits are lower worker compensation insurance rates and a reduction in productivity lost to machinery injuries.