The Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Division of Ag Education, Farm Safety and Farmland Preservation teams up with several organizations to promote farm safety to National Farm Machinery Show attendees. I met Dale Dobson, Safety Administrator for the Department and Scott Cedarquist, Director of Standards & Technical Activities, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, who were working the exhibit. As you can see in the photo, they have a tractor rollover educational display to show the difference in a rollover with the ROPS bar up and down. In the photo this farmer “dummy” is the victim of the unsafe practice of not using the ROPS bar.
Dale says they have a very simple message, “Roll bars and seat belts work only if you put the roll bar up and you click the seat belt. It’s your choice. It’s life and death.” Scott says that ASABE has a major focus on safety as the standards setting organization. They have committees for specific safety components like lighting and marking. You can find information on farm safety from both of these organizations online.
Listen to my interview with Dale and Scott: Promoting Farm Safety Interview
2012 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album
Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by Fastline AgRacer FMC New Holland