Rollover Protection Structure (ROPS) for Wheeled Agricultural Tractors

Tractor accidents are the number one cause of deaths and injuries in agriculture. As a leader of farm safety at the university and throughout Ohio, the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences should promote and practice safety on the farm and in the field. To this end, college departments and units will purchase, lease, accept as a gift or loan, and/or operate only tractors equipped with a rollover protection structure (ROPS). Current agricultural tractors will be brought up to ROPS standards by July, 2001. Exempt from this policy will be antique display equipment; small plot tractors of 20 HP or less; tractors using mounted equipment which is incompatible with ROPS (e.g. corn pickers); and low profile tractors* when used in orchards, vineyards, greenhouses, and other farm buildings where verticle clearance precludes use of a ROPS. Other tractors manufactured prior to October 25, 1976 may be exempted by the OSHA Coordinator/Health and Safety Specialist for the college, OARDC Safety Officer for OARDC units, and Equipment Maintenance Superintendent for ATI units. Every effort will be made to equip all tractors with ROPS when possible.

Each department or unit will follow a standard training program on tractor safety including the importance of ROPS for all employees and students who operate tractors. Each unit manager will instruct and require all tractor operators to wear the seat belt on each ROPS equipped tractor. Managers will set the example and wear seat belts themselves when operating ROPS equipped tractors. Operating a tractor unsafely may result in disciplinary action against the tractor operator. Once properly instructed, the tractor operator must assume responsibility for his or her safety on the tractor and each tractor operator will sign a form indicating completion of training. Employees (permanent or student) and non-employee students (who operate tractors as a course requirement) will receive initial training before being assigned to operate a tractor and will complete refresher training every year.

Tractors used for display or shown in educational publications will be equipped with ROPS, unless the purpose is to show the hazards of not being equipped with ROPS.

All unit heads will be responsible for the enforcement of this policy.

*See Appendix A for definition of low profile tractor.

Revised 04/11/2001