Kubota Reminds Operators to Double-Up on Safety for National Safety Month
Every month there is a bevy of crazy commemorative holidays. According to the all-knowing Wikipedia, June is Turkey Lover’s Month, Audiobook Month and National Candy Month. Among all these silly holidays, there is one topic that those in the construction industry should take note of — National Safety Month. And the National Safety Council and Kubota Tractor Corp. want to remind you to stay safe.
According to the National Agriculture Tractor Safety Initiative, research shows that, when used together, Roll-Over Protective Structures (ROPS) and seatbelts are 98 percent effective in preventing tractor-related injuries and deaths. A ROPS and fastened seat belt help to provide a safety zone that may reduce the chance of serious injury or death in the case of a rollover accident.
“The best advice for operators relative to ROPS and seat belts is to put ’em on, keep ’em on,” says Greg Embury, vice president of sales and marketing, Kubota Tractor Corporation. “National Safety Month provides us with an important reminder to use the safety features on equipment consistently and to pay close attention to all safety practices before using tractors, lawn and garden equipment, construction equipment and utility vehicles, too.”
An alarming number of fatal farm accidents and injuries occur every year, with overturned tractors accounting for nearly fifty percent of the tractor fatalities. Sadly, the extent of these injuries and fatalities may have been lessened with the use of ROPS and fastened seatbelts.
Kubota has provided ROPS as standard equipment since 1985. Older models that do not have a ROPS can be retrofitted; in fact, Kubota offers a ROPS program to equip older model tractors with a ROPS and seat belt. As part of Kubota’s continued effort to promote the installation and use of a ROPS and seat belt, Kubota Tractor Corporation is offering a special price for a ROPS and seat belt safety system through its nationwide network of dealers. Kubota tractor owners can visit www.kubota.com/safety for more information and to check eligibility. To date, Kubota dealers throughout the country have installed more than 11,500 ROPS retrofits.
Kubota supports safety education for its customers and their families by sponsoring the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day educational program, part of an effort designed to make safety education and training available for children year-round. Now in its 16th year, the program will conduct more than 385 Safety Day events in 2010 across the United States and Canada. In 2009, the programs reached more than 89,500 children and adults in rural communities, and to date, has touched the lives of more than 825,000 participants.
Additional information about Kubota’s support of the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day education program, along with safety information including Kubota’s “Ten Commandments of Tractor Safety,” a safety podcast, and a downloadable tractor safety coloring book can be found at the Kubota Web site: www.kubota.com.
“Safety should be top-of-mind for people who have been operating equipment for years, as well as those just learning,” says Embury.
