Safety Minute

PTO Points To Observe

• A PTO shaft can move at 540 rpm (9 times per second) or 1,000 rpm (16.7 times/second)
• Inspect guards regularly for damage and wear
• Replace even slightly cracked or damaged guards
• Disengage the PTO before servicing, adjusting, cleaning or clearing blockages
• Never wear loose clothing when operating machinery
• Walk around the machine and never step over a rotating shaft… even if the guard is on!
• Keep all components of a PTO system guarded
• Use non-rotating guards with restraining devices where possible
• Maintain guards as per manufacturer recommendation; clean and lubricate regularly
• Avoid working alone around PTO-driven machinery
• Use the correct driveline recommended for the machine being used

A significant portion of Canadian farmers have had an incident resulting in an injury or close call on their operation, but these accidents don't necessarily change behaviour, according to a recent survey by Farm Credit Canada (FCC).

“It’s unfortunate that it sometimes takes an incident or close call to motivate producers to put in place farm safety measures,” said Marcel Hacault, executive director of the Canadian Agriculture Safety Association (CASA), a non-profit organization formed in 1993 to respond to health and safety issues in agriculture.

“It’s even more unfortunate if they don’t take action to prevent incidents from happening again,” he said.

The survey, conducted from Feb. 10-21, found that seven in 10 producers (72 per cent) have had an incident resulting in an injury or close call on their operation at some point in their lifetime, and a quarter (24 per cent) of producers report having had one within the last year.

Read the full article here