Safe Operation of Equipment in Agricultural Settings
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Transcript of Safe Operation of Equipment in Agricultural Settings
Safe Operation of Equipment in
Agricultural Settings
AgrAbility NTW 2014
John Hancock, KY AgrAbilityCarol Weber, ATP, KY OVRMaryfrances Gross, CDRS
Session Goal• Examine the need for an effective evaluation
tool/protocol for determining adaptive equipment necessary to allow an individual with a disability to operate equipment on the farm safely and effectively.
• Group discussion about the current best practices and who should be involved on the team making the determination of equipment to be used.
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Session learning objectives
• Identify the need for the development of standards and protocols for determining when a farmer is able to independently and safely operate farm equipment.
• Identify the special considerations for operating farm equipment vs. operating a motor vehicle on the road and the need for additional evaluation.
• Discuss methods that have been used to determine a farmer’s ability to safely operate equipment.
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Biggest Barrier:
• Getting on or off the Equipment (creates a natural barrier to operation)
• As technology to modify agricultural equipment becomes more available, farmers with disabilities are gaining access to farm equipment that has been inaccessible to date.
Internet Available Resources
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Question:
• How do we know farmers with disabilities are safe when operating equipment (of many types)?
– OK with driver evaluation for personal vehicle
– Do not allow individuals with head injuries to operate equipment
Current “Standard” Practice:
Problems with this Approach:
• Undiagnosed Head Injury• Driver’s Evaluation revealed no
issues
Problems with this Approach:
• Rand: Head Injury– no driver adaptations needed
Problems with this Approach:
• Jimmy: CP– not going to drive on the road– Going to farm (no matter what)
Problems with this Approach
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Farm vs. Road:Terrain
Farm Road
Open, may be gravel or dirt roads
Marked Lanes
Fewer “obstacles” High number of other vehicles, pedestrians, visual stimuli, traffic signs, etc.
Familiar May be unfamiliar
Wide variety – hilly, steep, flat, sinkholes
Smooth terrain, gradual turns
Best practices, suggestions, the way I have always done it
Rules of the road - expectations
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Farm vs. Road:Vehicle
Farm Road
More wheels, more horsepower, more weight.
Typical passenger vehicle
Varied types of controls: skid steer, rear steer combine, etc.
Steering wheel, gas and brake pedals
Generally SLOW Even slower speeds tend to be faster than farm speeds
Also operate another piece of equipment or perform an additional task
One task: drive from one place to another
Operating in conjunction with another operator
Typically a solo task
Several pieces of equipment Own one car
Possible exposure to heat/cold/dust
Typically climate controlled
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Farm vs. Road
• Use many different vehicles on a farm
Another Consideration
• Seating and Positioning– Number of hours spent on a tractor
per day vs. in a car per day
– Positioning on the tractor or other equipment is as important as wheelchair positioning or vehicle seating
Another Consideration
• Seating and Positioning– While air ride seats may help with the
jolts of running across a field, they may not have good pressure relief.
– It’s not all about the cushion (2x4)
How do we address these issues?
• AgrAbility: expertise in farm equipment modifications
• CDRS/OT: expertise in adaptive equipment operation & analysis of driving tasks
• Vocational Rehabilitation: funding, assistive technology expertise
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• Vehicle Modification Specialist: expert in providing custom adaptations for driving
Driver’s Evaluation• Initial Screening:
– Medical Clearance• Medications• Seizures/Blackouts• Physician clearance for driving
– Driver license status• Expiration• Restrictions• Driving history• Suspensions/revocations
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Driver’s Evaluation• Clinical Evaluation:
– Physical Function – Range of motion, strength, coordination, endurance and sensation.
– Vision – Visual acuity, depth perception, contrast sensitivity, peripheral and color recognition.
– Cognition – Attention, judgment, memory, spatial, perception, problem solving.
– Reaction Time – Ability to respond timely and accurately with regards to driving tasks.
– Self Control – Ability to modulate oneself in response to demands in the environment.
• Are the same skills needed for farm equipment operation?
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Driver’s Evaluation• Clinical Driver Assessments
– Vision• Useful field of vision
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Driver’s Evaluation• Clinical Driver Assessments
– Cognitive• Trail Making Test
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Driver’s Evaluation• Clinical Driver Assessments
– Cognitive
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Driver’s Evaluation• Clinical Driver Assessments
– Cognitive
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Driver’s Evaluation
• Clinical Driver Assessments– Cognitive (not standardized)
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Driver’s Evaluation
• Behind the Wheel Assessments
– Performance categories• Observation• Communication• Speed adjustment• Vehicle positioning• Time and space judgment• Vehicle response
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Causes of Accidents• Causes of car accidents:
– Environmental factors include slick roadways, reduced visibility due to fog or darkness, obstructions to a driver's view, and roadway design problems.
– Vehicular factors include vehicle malfunctions such as brake failure, inadequate tire tread or tire underinflation, and inoperable lights and signals.
– Driver Factors:• Recognition errors were probable causes in
56% of the crashes, • decision errors in 52% of the crashes, and • performance errors in 11% of the crashes.
• Are these accident causes similar on a farm?
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Other factors
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KY AgrAbility
• Ride ‘n Drive – Addresses ability to operate the equipment on a
course : similar to driving in a parking lot.
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• When a driver’s evaluation is done, a CDRS uses an adapted vehicle set up specifically for the consumer.
• KY AgrAbility– Adapted UTV– Adapted Tractor – seated and
standing lift available, with hand controls
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KY AgrAbility• Ride ‘n Drive
KY AgrAbility• Ride ‘n Drive
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• Ride ‘n Drive: Tractor setup– Onboard video “Go Pro”
• better observation – no “buddy” seat
• On the Farm Evaluation– Can’t get enough information on a closed
course– Evaluate consumer in the environment– Evaluate consumer performing tasks
• Other shortfalls:– Can’t get consumer operating his own
tractor
Who should be involved in making a decision about
safe operation?• Farm Specialist (AgrAbility)
– Understands operation of equipment – how it is used, considerations
– Farming adapations• Farm Safety Specialist• Rehab Techs• Vocational Rehabilitation• CDRS
– Understands safe driving task– Cognitive aspects of driving– Driving adaptations
• OT/PT: Positioning• Consumer/Family
Suggestions?
• Next steps to develop guidelines