Tractor Rollover Scenario

[rmoore]

McKinney Firefighters respond to find no injuries at this tractor rollover because of the enclosed cab and roll bar. The challenges if this were an open cab got us to thinking... what would we do?

Say for example, open cab tractor, same ditch. Operator falls off or attempts to jump as it slides sideways. The tractor and mower roll to the same position but this time, lands on the operator at the bottom of this ditch.

What would you do about.....

Hazards?

Stabilization?

Rescue Procedures?

[rmoore]

View looking towards rear of mower and tractor

[rmoore]

View from roof side of tractor

[rmoore]

Here's how steep the embankment is. It's loose gravel and sod. Note that any lifting action without good stabilization would result in an immediate shift of the tractor towards the bottom of the ditch.

[lmrchief2]

Since no one else wants to take a stab at it-Here are some thoughts

Hazards- Is tractor running with PTO engaged. Possible failure of the hydraulics system. If I remember the picture the bucket is what is keeping the tractor from rolling over.

Stabilization-Need to secure it from the road side at the top of the undercarraige. Need to get plenty of blocks to help hold tractor up-possible air bags.

Rescue procedure- If tractor is stabile possibly a lift high enough to get the patient out. If not safe to do so (since not there to try it)possibly digging under the patient a small tunnel so you can board and free him.

Depending on how he is pinned will also make a differance in how you would get him out.

Just some thoughts-I lost my thoughts on the pictures hopefully I covered everything

[Rescue101]

The bucket is PROBABLY what got it rolled over in the first place.Many operators mow with the bucket HIGH so they can see better.DUMB!Also makes the tractor roll quicker.This being a late model tractor there is a pretty good chance the cab is a ROPS cab making it a pretty good platform to work from,it's designed to support the weight of the tractor in an accident.See the way the mower is flipped around?It was a "Quick"roll again indicating the bucket was up when it rolled.I beg to differ with Ron a bit about the slide you would get if you lifted on the cab and/or open cab ROPS.I've done enough of these that unless the bank is really steep as you lift those Ag tires will bite on the soft material.Would I bet any of your lives on it?Not on a bet.If I had a victim under the machine I would secure it on the wheel side with straps,wire rope or chain but I would have no qualms at all on lifting on the cab or Rops.This is a pretty common happening around here,a lot of times with bigger machines than this so I'm probably oversimplifing the process.Of course this is an excellent place for a tow truck,a small one would be fine.A little cribbing and a couple of high lift jacks would do quite a lot once you secure the wheels.You could get 6-10 inches cab lift real easy by lifting on the bucket arms and cribbing up.Another way to secure the wheels would be with a loop of chain and a crowbar.Put a loop around each wheel low and pull tight.Drive a crowbar into the ground to secure the chain loop to one for each axle.T.C.

[NB87JW]

Ron you must carry that camera everywhere...

One of the first things I saw on the photos were those dual mower blades. It the tractor motor was still running and the blades were somehow still fanning the air. I would make sure we shut her down.:-)

Good ideas TC. I think you were right on about the bucket being too high and adding to the rollover. It looks like he was coming toward traffic while mowing (see his mowed path) and then hit that really steep loose section of grass, and sand and his high center carried him over.

Any one know if those cab windows are lexan (or the like) or just laminated glass? One of which (lexan) may pose more of a problem for access and extrication.

I too like lmrchief2 initially thought of just stabilizing with cribbing, chain or rope, and possibly tension buttresses. Then use air bags to slowly raise the tractor just enough to remove the victim. Using a tow-truck is a great idea, of coarse it depends on how sick the vicitm is and how long you'd have to wait for the tow.

Be safe Bro's

JW

[Dalmatian90]

Ok, let's try this again...wrote a nice big reply this morning, then the power glitched!

First, sad thing is 30 minutes of laziness caused the accident -- a modern front end loader like that is 15 minutes off, 15 minutes on. If you're slow, lazy, and in the middle of a snowstorm. (Unlike my antique tractor, where I actually would need a friend to come with another FEL to remove mine!)

Hazards?
Assign someone to be the human lockout/tagout on the hydraulic controller for the front end loader. Check for leaks in the hydraulic lines.

If that tractor has weight resting on the loader system and either the controller is touched or a line starts leaking fluid, buckets gonna "come down" (down relative to it's normal orientation!) and things are gonna shift quickly.

Most modern loaders have a single multi-function joystick, so it doesn't take much to create hydraulics moving -- even if the tractor is off, pressure stored in the cylinders or created by gravity will go through the controller if it's moved.

Beyond that, turn off the engine. If it's gas, hopefully the key, battery, and distributor all aren't on the left hand side If it's diesel and you can't get the key, I'd reckon the CO2 in the air intake would do the same trick it does on trucks.

Stabilization?
For my department, I'd use our Service truck (Hummer w/ front mount winch) or if it didn't roll our Rescue (18,000lb GVW w/ rear mount winch) and their respective winches. Logging chain (6' utility chain with grab & slip hooks) around the right rear axle as the solidest point to attach to, winch hook to that.

Don't use anything that has hydraulics on it as lift/crib points -- and that includes the mower! The three point hitch on tractors is driven by a rotary hydraulic ________ (can't remember the name!) under the driver's seat, so people not use to equipment might not think of it being hydraulic since you don't see cylinders like bucket. Again, if hydraulics start to move, angles can change quickly. Of course, crib things like the mower if you want to keep it from moving, just don't expect that cribbing to stablize the tractor itself.

Rescue Procedures?
Think through what you have.

The biggest disadvantage to the tractor is it's a lot less stable than cars & trucks we usually see.

The biggest advantage is it's a lot more solid -- you don't have a frame on modern tractor of this size, yeah maybe some sheetmetal, but the strength is from the casting the engine & transmission or in/on.

Also, I think in a situation if you have a patient that's in a crushing situation, taking the extra few minutes to know you'll get him out at once and treat him right is important. If it's a warm, dry day and he's alert & oriented, you biggest danger is probably hypovolemic shock when his legs or whatever crushed underneath are suddenly not crushed. So wait a reasonable time to get the right equipment, and resources. Even if you have an excavator right there that could pick this tractor up like cotton candy, why do it if the helicopter is 15 minutes away still? Similiarly, if you have a helicopter crew there ready to slap MAST trousers on his crushed legs as soon as he's free, why haltingly lift the tractor making do with what you have and allow him to bleed out before freed instead of waiting 15 or 30 minutes and getting heavy equipment in? Obviously if the patient's already headed south, you gotta start trying even if success isn't assured, 'cause you don't know if you have time to wait and do it best.

For my department, from what the pics look like after the tractor is stabilized by a winch or two, see what we need to lift. It could be as simple as cribbing with 4x4s/6x6s/wedges as the winches pull back, or more complicated like digging out a flat spot we can safely set airbags up. For those without airbags, bottle & floor jacks and Hi-Lift jacks will do, too.

If "hand" tools aren't enough, I'd love to have a big front end loader or excavator available -- that fence is wood, a minor annoyance for a piece of machinery to drive through to get located. Barring that, next best in my mind would be a heavy wrecker to do the pulling, and with it's extendable boom it can probably pull up and out. Heck, if the field is dry, drive it out in the field and back up to the tractor so it can lift it straight up and out instead of "rolling" the tractor. Either in a straight lift or roll, I'd prefer multiple wreckers, but if not have our Rescue & Service use their winches to control the tractor & mower from swinging.

I like this scenario!

[Resq14]

Farmedic

If people haven't taken a Farmedic course, I highly encourage it. While they use farm machinery in their examples and hands-on evolutions, the theories apply to extrication and disentanglement in non-farm situations.

I especially like their focus on stabilization systems.

[gregblewett]

Just a couple of thoughts, Were there is one tractor there are usually others. At 10 -30 thousand pounds plus they make a very stable anchor. Also digging down in this situation could be quicker and safer than trying to lift. Like in vehicle extrication how much room do you really need.

[Rescue101]

Lifting points

Dal,I made the mistake of assigning a HD to an incident like this once,no more.This job is EASILY handled by a one ton class tow truck or Rescue truck with a competent operator.I should have clarified the lift point on the bucket arms,that would be the BACK pivot point.As long as you DON'T touch the control handle you can do a limited lift on the arms.Just remember to crib as you go.A lot of leverage is built into these machines if you know where to look,a little umph will get you a LOT of lift.The main reason a smaller tow truck is better for this incident is the winches tend to be a little quicker and the rigging is a LOT easier to handle.Be sure to crib as you go.I wish I could get some of our better jobs posted here,maybe when I get my system modernized I can get a few up.A lot of great ideas have been put forth here.T.C.

[rmoore]

While awaiting the tow operator to recover the machine, I did make a call to the local farm tractor-implement dealer. Upon speaking with the service manager, I was informed that this tractor weighed approximately 5,600 pounds without the bucket loader attachment. I guessed about another 1,000 pounds for that. So I calculated at the scene, that if I had to lift this thing, I was dealing with a total weight of about 6,600 pounds.

One interestering point; the grass around the exhaust pipe was all black and covered with soot. The tractor remained running once it finally came to rest in this position. The operator shut the diesel down before he climbed out the top-sode door of the cab.

I asked him if he was belted. He said "Honestly, no. But I held on real tight when the thing rolled on me." Even with a nice cab, reinforced and all like it was, I thought what if the door had flung open and he were thrown out. How foolish it would be to recover a body of a guy killed by his rollover protection becasue he wasn't wearing his seatbelt. Go Figure!!!

[lutan1]

Good scenario Ron.

Granmaster 101 I think has this one wrapped up.

With a little over above average weight, I too would opt for the standard tow truck.

Loads of cribbing and use the tow to gently roll the tractor back up the hill whilst packing the gaps with the cribbing.

If it was a time critical patient then I'd opt for the air bags and lift enough to get 'em out! (Still cribb as we lift though...)

With regards to hazards- the whole back end is a "no go" area. Put some cones/witches hats or other visual aids around an area of about 5 metres to ensure no one starys into the vicinity of those blades.

[Dalmatian90]

Good info 101...I'm not as familiar with wrecker capabilities (which is probably my penchant for wanting heavy equipment, I'm more used to hydraulics ). Just wasn't sure what the pickup sized wreckers could do...biggest problem is they're getting fewer & fewer since it seems everybody uses flatbeds first out these days.

[Ohiovolffemtp]

I commanded a scene like this once. A guy was plowing the racetrack at the county fairgrounds on Xmas eve. He was looking over his shoulder to watch the blade and took his front wheels up a pole. The tractor rolled sideways and he fell to the ground. The rear fender came down across his chest. I was 1st on scene - about 4-5 min after dispatch and he was already dead due to traumatic asphyxia.

While we could have lifted the tractor with the spreaders under the rear wheel, it probably would have been faster to have rolled the tractor back up in a manner similar to what folks have described with a wrecker. We would have had to tie off the tractor to the engine and slowly backed the engine, but it would have worked.

Other hazards: fuel leaks, hot transmission/gear oil leaks, hydraulic fluid leaks. My tractor leaked like a sieve - but it was a '52 Case.