Essential safety tips for operating a tractor
Agriculture consistently ranks among the top three most dangerous industries in the U.S., stated by National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. According to the Department of Labor, tractor accidents on farms cause the highest number of fatalities with tractor overturns accounting for 44 percent of all tractor fatalities. Work-related injuries caused 416 farmer and farm worker deaths in 2017, resulting in a fatality rate of 20.4 deaths per 100,000 farm workers. The National Agricultural Tractor Safety Initiative reports that tractors cause about 50% of all farm worker deaths each year, and a 2012 study by the U.S. Department of Labor found that tractor rollovers are the most common type of tractor accident.
Karen Funkenbusch, a health and safety specialist with the University of Missouri Extension said tractor accidents are still one of the leading causes of farm fatalities. In an extension article, she wrote that “tractor rollovers and runovers are the leading cause of childhood deaths on farms,” and warned that “many traditions on family farms, such as riding with Grandpa on the tractor or lawn mower, can turn deadly in a flash.”
For lifelong farmer Clayton Ferguson, tractor safety isn’t just a checklist. It’s a way of life that’s been passed down through generations. Growing up on his family’s farm in Missouri, Ferguson said some of his earliest memories involved helping in hayfield. His father and grandfather taught him the importance of safety from the start, making sure he understood that operating a tractor requires focus, patience and awareness long before he could fully understand the weight of those lessons.
“I got to hop on the rake tractor and just turn hay over in wide-open fields and start to understand how tractors work,” said Ferguson. “It’s certainly different from a car. You used to have a clutch and a brake while you’re going through the field, letting the tools do what they need to do.”
Ferguson explained that his father and grandfather were the ones who made sure he learned the importance of tractor safety.
“They were the ones who checked our safety and made sure we knew what we were doing,” said Ferguson. “I want to pass the farm and the importance of tractor safety to the next generation.”
Early tractors had no rollover protection, seatbelts or enclosed cabs, leaving the operators vulnerable to serious injury. Over time, manufacturers introduced rollover protective structures, PTO shields and automatic shutoffs to make working conditions safer.
He started running larger machinery in his early teens and said awareness and focus is everything when working with farm equipment.
“You have to pay attention to your surroundings, what gear you’re in, how your PTO and hydraulics work, and who or what is in your area,” he stated. “My family always let me know when I messed up and how they had made similar mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, that’s how we learn.”
Ferguson states he cannot express how important learning good habits and limiting distractions while operating farm machinery can be.
“Awareness can be the difference between getting the job done and getting hurt,” said Ferguson.
The most important point of tractor safety is knowing your tractor. Know how the tractor handles and be alert for potential dangers. A good tractor operator has read the tractor operator manual and practices the safety habits described below.
• If your tractor has a rollover protective structure, securely fasten your seat belt.
• Where possible, avoid operating the tractor near ditches, embankments and holes.
• Reduce speed when turning or crossing slopes and on rough, slick or muddy surfaces.
• Stay off slopes too steep for safe operation.
• Watch where you are going – especially at row ends, on roads and around trees.
• Do not permit others to ride.
• Operate the tractor smoothly – no jerky turns, starts or stops.
• Hitch only to the drawbar and hitching points recommended by tractor manufacturers.
• When tractor is stopped, set brakes securely and use park lock if available.
Ferguson explains the lessons he learned in those early mornings, and long harvest days go far beyond machinery. To him, safety is part of preserving a family’s legacy.
“You’re taking care of yourself, your family and the farm that’s been here long before you, and that’s worth protecting,” said Ferguson.
