Page 20 October 25, 2013 2013 LOGAN COUNTY FARM OUTLOOK MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com
The use of a hard-body cab on tractors helped
prevent these types of horror stories, but in those
early versions, it was standing room only for anyone
but the driver. Children especially could be jostled
around the cab on rough terrains, causing less life-
threatening injuries such as bumps and bruises.
Today, many cabs on tractors and combines are
equipped with jump seats for passengers and even
include seat belts to help keep the riders
in place. Today, few passengers get
run over by the farm vehicle.
While air seats with
specific shock-absorbing
features may seem like a
sweet extra, they have
proven to be a blessing
for the farmer who sits
in the seat from sunup
to sundown.
There are many minor
injuries that farmers and
the safety industry really
don’t include in their national
statistics, but industry
researchers do.
For the farmer, the early tractors offered a metal seat
with no back. Later, cushioned seats with low backs
became a standard.
The injuries that occurred from these seats were
related primarily to lower back pain and injury
caused by vibration from the tractor or combine.
Many farmers develop back issues as well as
problems with the hips and knees as they mature.
Modern seats are designed to absorb the vibration,
reduce impact and support the operator’s back. In the
long run, this not only saves muscles and joints, it
reduces fatigue and makes operating the equipment
easier for the producer.
Other strides along the way include improvements
to the steering mechanism of the vehicles, reducing
back injuries and muscle strain in the neck and
shoulders. Early tractors with no power
steering made the physical labor of
the driver more stressful and,
again, more tiring. Today,
power steering is a common
feature on the tractor and
the combine.
Automated steering
through GPS has made
the task easier yet. At
planting and harvest
time, some of the mental
and physical stress and
strain comes from the need
to drive a straight line in
tilled soil that may be pulling
the vehicle one direction
or another. The straightness of rows at
planting time is going to make harvest an easier
task. With steering assistance, much of that stress
is relieved as the GPS takes command and creates
straighter rows.
To date, GPS at harvest is not all that helpful in the
cornfield. With many farmers using 20-inch rows, the
system doesn’t work well enough to keep a corn head
in proper line with the rows. However, it is a great
asset during soybean harvest.
B
ottom line
,
the noise level on the farm
can spike the decibels and
ultimately cause damage to
the internal workings of the
ear, causing varying
degrees of hearing loss.
