Guides & Toolkits

26 150-008-01-IADO © 2014, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS) 1 877 494 WSPS (9777) | 905 614 1400 | www.wsps.ca tailgate talks – Prevent tractor overtUrns Keep your tractor under control at all times and under all conditions. Obstructions such as rocks and stumps, or depressions such as dead furrows and pot holes could cause a tractor to roll over. Never let a tractor "bounce"- this causes loss of steering control. Pull heavy loads and equipment at safe speeds. Try to avoid quick stops, because the heavy load could push the tractor into a skid, and possible rollover. Use engine "braking" when going downhill. Shift to a lower gear before starting downhill. Make sure that you don't use a speed range that allows the tractor to "freewheel". Avoid crossing steep slopes, if possible. Always turn downhill if stability becomes uncertain on a slope. Stay at least as far away from ditches and streams as the banks are deep. Any closer and the tractor's weight could cause the bank to shear. Take extra care with loader tractors. A raised, loaded bucket increases the centre of gravity, thereby making the tractor more subject to rollover. Keep the loader bucket as low as possible when turning or transporting. Watch carefully for obstructions or depressions. Prevent rear rollovers Slips, trips and falls around farm equipment can have fatal consequences. We've already stressed the importance of keeping steps and platforms clean. Here are some additional points to consider when working with machinery. Never hitch a towed load higher than the tractor drawbar. Hitching too high is a major cause of rearward tractor flips. Front chassis weights can be used to counterbalance rear-mounted implements and heavy drawbar loads. Always start forward motion slowly. Backing down a grade is risky. If brakes are applied, the tractor could rotate around the rear axle and tip over backward. If you have to back down a steep grade, do it slowly in a low gear. That should let you stay off the brakes. Whenever possible, back tractors up steep slopes, and come down forward. Suppose your tractor starts rolling backward down a steep grade with the clutch disengaged. It's safer to let the tractor roll to the bottom of the slope without applying the brakes or engaging the clutch as both can cause a backward flip. wsps.ca

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