Posted by sgt bull on January 18, 2008 at 20:21:10 from (166.159.173.247):
Every organization loses members. Some leave out of apathy, some are asked to leave, some have life changes that carry them elsewhere, and unfortunately, all inevitably die. But some die far too soon. Inherently this hobby carries with it a substantial amount of danger. Heavy iron on jackstands, being loaded and unloaded from trailers or wrestled out of it's wooded hiding place after 2 or 3 decades, by cable or chain. But it's obviously not just the pursuit of the "hobby" that carries danger with it. The end product is equally dangerous. At shows there are spinning flywheels, zinging belts, tractor's backing up, inexperienced or inattentive operators, twirling shafts, and a million other things longing to reach out and grab the unsuspecting shirt sleeve or jacket hem, only to pull the hapless wearer to no good end. We sometimes seem to forget that farming is one of the, if not THE most dangerous occupation generally done. Sure there are others that are dangerous; Fireman, ironworkers, police, military, but these, purportionatly speaking, have fewer injuries and deaths. We've taken the source of most of the danger and converted it to entertainment. The very machines that have maimed and killed so many over the years are what we covet, lovingly restore, and take pride in showing off and nolstalgically operating. I say this, not because I want to disparage this hobby. I absolutely love the time I spend using my old farm machinery either to show, or use in its intended function. I want to, however, remind everyone who enjoys this hobby to really stop and think. To really consider how dangerous PTO shafts, belts, or whatever, really are, and not lose respect for them. Two days ago, a 71 year old member of our club since its inception nearly 19 yrs ago, was killed. He was unloading beans, and although the actual facts are a little unclear, somehow, he got his arm tangled in the auger PTO, tearing it off. Another man, there helping, did his best to stop the tractor, but no one is quick enough to do that before the damage will be done. This other man could not have possibly have done anything to stop this tragedy. The PTO shaft had a shield, and the shield would turn freely, but somehow, it failed to prevent the accident. This man, whom we all considered a friend with a good heart, did not survive. No one can fault the victim, nor really even the equipment in this. It is all too easy to get a little complacent with this equipment, having "gotten away" with things we've done on several occassions. We can easily fool ourselves into thinking the dangers are exagerated, and take what seems to be a very minor risk in stepping over the pto shaft... after all it has a shield... or handcranking that old beast without checking the gearshift... or reaching in to pull out that "whatever it is that doesn't belong there" in a running machine. Its easy to do. I've done it myself. Its a very human action. But it only takes a second. You can't react fast enough to avoid it. Its often over before you even recognize the threat, and the consequences are irreversible. A wonderful family is now left with immeasurable grief. A community is shocked at the event and an organiztion finds itself with an unfillable void. All of this, not to mention the sickening feeling we have when the news reaches us of what happened, should at the very least remind us to be ever careful, always aware and neverendingly vigilant for other's safety as well as our own. I realize this was an incredibly long post, but, its cathartic. It helps me with my own personal feelings of loss, and hopefully, it makes at least one person reconsider the unneccesary risks he or she may take today, tomorrow, or this summer, in working with the fruits of their restorative labors.
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Today's Featured Article - Choosin, Mounting and Using a Bush Hog Type Mower - by Francis Robinson. Looking around at my new neighbors, most of whom are city raised and have recently acquired their first mini-farms of five to fifteen acres and also from reading questions ask at various discussion sites on the web it is frighteningly apparent that a great many guys (and a few gals) are learning by trial and error and mostly error how to use a very dangerous piece of farm equipment. It is also very apparent that these folks are getting a lot of very poor and often very dangerous advice fro
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