The National Farm Medicine Center is working hard at Wisconsin Farm Technology Days to showcase accident simulations, rescue operations, and accident prevention techniques for visitors to the show. One area of focus is using roll-over protection structures to save lives in tractor roll-overs.
Melissa Ploeckelman is the Outreach Specialist for the National Farm Medicine Center, and she shares more about how a ROPS works and what tractor roll-over rescue operations look like.
Ploeckelman explains that the chance of survival in a tractor roll-over without a ROPS and seatbelt is 3%. However, by adding a ROPS to a tractor and correctly wearing a seatbelt, that survival rate shoots up to 99% in the case of a roll-over.
“Farmers are not selfish people, so a lot of times they’re not putting that roll-over protection on for themselves,” Ploeckelman says. “When they put it on, they’re putting it on to protect someone else on the farm.”
The National Farm Medicine Center has worked to make ROPS affordable for farmers. They have a rebate program that will cover 70% of the cost, leaving the farmer to pay no more $500 out of pocket to have it installed. Visitors to Farm Tech Days even have the opportunity to win a ROPS from the National Farm Medicine Center.
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