This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Estructuras de protección para tractores agrícolas: homologación y uso

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A 40 per cent of our park has more than 20 years old

Protection for agricultural tractors structures: approval and use

Drafting Interempresas25/11/2008

November 25, 2008

The roll-over of the tractor is the accident that causes a greater number of wounded serious and dead in the Agriculture of our country. Perhaps surprising knowing that the death toll amounted to no less than 80 farmers each year. As many of them are retirees, minors, part-time or family workers do not appear in official statistics. The Director of the station of agricultural mechanics of the Ministry of environment and Rural and marine environment, Jose Luis Ponce de León, explained during the last edition of the Fira de Sant Miquel of Lleida, the different types of rolloverat the same time that reviewed the correct use of protection structures approved of the tractor.

It is not true that the agricultural tractor, despite the figures, is a dangerous team. Modern tractors are equipped with multiple safety devices, including Santos stressed 'the roll-over protection structures'. These structures, which can be cabins, frames for 4 and 6 poles or arches of 2 poles, are designed to provide a space for survival to the driver in the event of rollover.

According to estimates by the Ministry almost one third of the Park of tractors in Spain not currently structure of protection, i.e. 269.450 units. In the event of roll-over with one of them, there is a large probability that the driver is killed by crushing.

Deaths can also occur when structures are not used properly, for example in the case of security than van dipped arches or doors open cabins.

For these reasons, and considers Ponce de León, a tractor equipped with a structure of protection against the overturning, tested, and approved, to have and use it correctly, it is the only effective means to prevent the crushing of the tractor in the event of rollover.

A tractor must be equipped with a structure of ensayada and certified, protection to give full guarantees to the driver in the event of rollover.

The roll-over of the tractor

The tractor is a very stable, though in very outstanding land work, circulating at excessive speed, performing incorrect maneuvers, working in conditions of risk as close to terraces or stepping on a silo, etc., can dump. These rollovers are usually side and tend to be very fast, from 0.75 to 2.5 seconds, so usually no time to react. According to the engineer Ponce de León, even if it is to skip the tractor at the start of the roll-over, to be already inclined, tends to jump to the side in which the tractor is going to dump, with what the crushing is almost certain.

Virtually all the crushing injuries occur in tractors which do not carry security structure or being depressed. For this reason, the first step to take is follow good practices in the use of the tractor, both in work and in road. In addition, should avoid on-the-job situations of risk, how to work near terraces, in areas with great slope, or excessive speed. The second measure is mounted on the tractor a protection structure and use it correctly.

Types of structures for the protection of agricultural tractors (A: cab); B: 4-post rack; C: late arch; (D: developed ARC).

The roll-over protection structures

Not worth any structure, but that it must be tested and approved protection structure. To verify that a structure is able to withstand a rollover without warp there are procedures of very rigorous trials, which are within the regulations and national and international standards.

The trials are destructive, and consist of a series of thrusts that occur to the structure mounted on the tractor and that simulate the effects of a front, rear and side turn. In addition, check, through two crushing, that the structure is able to resist when the tractor is dump completely, with the wheels upwards and the structure must resist all the weight of the tractor.

The fact that 40 per cent of our tractors Park has more than 20 years explains the still high number of tractors which do not have protection structure

During the trial, there is a security zone planned for the survival of the driver, which can not be invaded by the structure in any case. In addition, neither may cause cracks or breakage of the structure or their anchorages, or resistant parts of the tractor.

Subsequently, there is an authority which accredits the protection structure. According to Ponce de León, the resistance does not depend on only its structural elements, but also parts of the tractor that the structure is anchored.

In 1980 they began to make compulsory in Spain approved protection structures. In 1993 was completed this process with narrow tractors, so since that date all tractors that are traded in our country, except for fraud, must be an approved protection structure. The fact that 40 per cent of our tractors Park has more than 20 years, is what explains the still high number of tractors which do not have protection structure.

To resolve the problem, computer programs based on the parameters used in the trials have been prepared, and that allow to design protective structures for these models with guarantees.

Schemes of impact, crushing and thrusts in testing dynamic and static (A: front coup); B: crushing in dynamic or static testing; C: lateral blow to the dynamic test; (D: thrust in the static test).

The correct use of protection structures

The structures for the protection of tractors to be effective in rollover protection there is to use them properly, and according to Ponce de Leon, this presupposes fulfill several points:

1. The first and main is always use an approved protection structure. All tractors that are sold in our country must wear an approved structure. This can be seen when fits the tractor in the official registers of machinery, since the documentation should include the brand, model and the number of type-approval of the structure of protection.

2. Do not modify the structure of protection. When a structure is tested, it takes all the structural elements that allow that it will hold a roll-over, so any modification of these elements, as cutting them and return them to solder, weaken them or remove them, is that the structure can not resist in the event of rollover. In addition it could be that insurance does not pay the compensation in case of accidents with damage.

3 Carry the structure of protection in position of safety. The structure is to be effective it must be in the conditions in which has been tested. This means that, in the case of removable bows, they should not be killed more than when it is absolutely essential (working under trees). In the case of the cabins, should carry them with closed doors, because to the dump, if the driver does not take seat belt, it can be projected outside the security zone.

To enable protection structures to fulfil its function of protecting the driver should use them properly

4. If the tractor has belt, we must take clasped. For two years, it is mandatory that the new tractors are equipped with two points (waist) safety belts, so that the driver out of the area of security in the event of overturning.

5. In the event of overturning, attached strongly to the steering wheel. When a protection structure in position of security, in the event of overturning, there to hold tightly to the wheel, to avoid being displaced in the area of security.

6. The model of the seat is important. When it is tested a protection structure used an area of security, which depends on a point of reference for the seat. This point varies depending on the used seat. For this reason, it is necessary, when switching from seat, be one of the models included in the test report.

7. If the protection structure has undergone a shift there to replace it, that they are prepared to withstand a single turn.

8 Keep the documentation and structure of protection plate. Effect of the technical inspection of vehicles, it is important to maintain the certification given by the manufacturer with the protection structure, as well as the plate which should be in the same structure.

And if I have an old tractor...

When you have a tractor without protection structure should take measures to ensure that it does not become a danger which can kill the farmer.

There are two ways to avoid this risk, according to the presentation made by the Director of the mechanical agricultural station:

1 Run the tractor. It is the most effective, although it involves a considerable financial effort. The Ministry has a program of aid for the renewal of the fleet of agricultural tractors, which can accommodate all those farmers who intend to change one or more old tractors with a new one. For tractors that do not have accredited structures, there is an increase of aid of EUR 80 per HP for the power of the achatarrado tractor.

2 Set up a structure of protection. For old tractors without approved protection structures, it is possible to mount a sturdy structure using one of the applications of computer in Internet.