Every year, people are sadly killed or injured in accidents involving tractor power take offs (PTOs) and PTO shafts that drive machinery towed behind a tractor.
In just one second, a PTO can wrap an arm or leg around a shaft nine times. A PTO rotates so fast that you have no time to react, so, the key is to prevent accidents from happening in the first place, by following safety advice and a risk assessment. This PTO risk assessment includes how to recognise and control:
the hazards, risks and controls required to eliminate or reduce hazards in your workplace from the use of PTO’s.
create awareness about the risks from entanglement manual handling, noise and more.
Injuries that can be sustained from PTO incidents including severe contusion, cuts, spinal and neck injuries, dislocations, broken bones, and scalping. Some incidents can result in fatalities. This assessment identifies the hazards, the risks, and measures necessary to prevent, control and mitigate these and other hazardous events.
This File contains the following:
A detailed Power take-off and power take-off drive shaft Risk Assessment. Identifies the hazards, the risks essential controls and PPE requirements. Download and adapt this assessment to suit your specific work needs.
A safe working procedure. Even simple processes are susceptible to various interpretations. This PTO safe work procedure provides clear and accurate operating procedures to ensure the most effective measures and prevent, control, and mitigate hazardous events.
HSE Agriculture Information Sheet No 40. Power take-off and power take-off drive shafts.
