(Source: Penn State Agricultural Safety & Health)
Use the following format to cite this article:
Mechanical hazards: Burn points. (2012). Farm and Ranch eXtension in Safety and Health (FReSH) Community of Practice. Retrieved from http://www.extension.org/pages/66316/mechanical-hazards:-burn-points.
Burn-point hazards are associated with tractors, self-propelled equipment, and pull-type machinery. These pieces of equipment have components that can cause burns when they contact skin. The most common activities that result in burn-point incidents include maintenance, inspection, fueling, and servicing of machines.
The following components and machinery elements can be burn points:
- Mufflers
- Manifolds
- Engine blocks
- Gear cases
- Pipes
- Hot fluids (fuel, oil, chemicals, and so on)
Potential Injuries
Burns are the most obvious type of injury sustained due to burn-point hazards. However, additional injuries can occur if operators are startled by contact with burn points. For example, a producer might contact a hot muffler and fall back onto a toolbox, getting a back injury in addition to the burn.
Safety Precautions
The list below outlines ways of reducing the risk of a burn-point incident.
- Check machinery for burn points and avoid those areas.
- Shut down the engine and allow time for fluids and parts to cool before completing any fueling, inspections, or maintenance.
- Do not touch the engine or machine parts during an inspection.
- Determine whether a part is hot by holding your hand near the surface of the part.
- Wear leather gloves to protect your hands.
Resources
Click here to view a video about burn-point hazards from Pennsylvania State University’s Agricultural Safety and Health Program.
Use the following format to cite this article:
Mechanical hazards: Burn points. (2012). Farm and Ranch eXtension in Safety and Health (FReSH) Community of Practice. Retrieved from http://www.extension.org/pages/66316/mechanical-hazards:-burn-points.
Sources
Agricultural equipment and machine hazards. (2016) The Ohio State University. Retrieved from http://agsafety.osu.edu/programs/cfaes-osha/ag-equipment-machine-hazards.
Grisso, R., Stone, B., & Hetzel, G. (2009) Machinery safety on the farm. Virginia Cooperative Extension. Retrieved from http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/442/442-092/442-092_pdf.pdf.
Harshman, W., Yoder, A., Hilton, J., & Murphy, D. (2011) Mechanical hazards. HOSTA Task Sheet 3.1. Pennsylvania State University Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department. Retrieved from http://articles.extension.org/sites/default/files/Version%203.%20January….