COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — The New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health said it has made safe the 700th tractor via its innovative rollover protection system rebate program, the only program of its kind in the U.S.
Cattaraugus County fruit farmer Dave Wilbur’s International tractor was retrofitted with the assistance of the program, bringing the program to this significant milestone.
Risk
According to the center, a farmer’s risk of dying on the job is 800 percent higher than that of the average American worker. Tractor overturns are the primary cause of these fatal and permanently crippling injuries.
In the event of a rollover, the use of the program and a seat belt reduces the risk of injury by 99 percent. Tractors built after 1985 have built-in rollover protection, but most tractors in use today are older than that.
In working with a farmer, rollover protection system program staff find the appropriate kit to retrofit the tractor, assist farmers in completing their order and send a check to the farmer after they purchase the rollover protection system, up to 70 percent of the cost or a maximum of $765.
More information
Farmers may call 877-ROPS-R4U for more information.
