Farmer Run Over by Tractor

An 80-year-old male farmer (the victim) died when he was run over by the right rear wheel of his tractor. He had backed the tractor to the door of a shed in order to hook a tiller to it. After parking the tractor on a slight incline in front of the shed, he left it in neutral while he went inside for the tiller. The parking brake did not hold, however, and the tractor began to roll. He apparently noticed this and tried to remount the tractor, but was knocked down by the wheel and run over. To prevent similar incidents, the KY FACE investigator recommends that: tractor operators ensure that the tractor is in gear, with ignition turned off and parking brake completely engaged, before dismounting. These features should not be changed until the operator is back in the driver\u27s seat with seatbelt fastened; and, if unattended equipment begins to move, workers should remain clear of its path of travel and not attempt to remount until it has come to a complete stop