Show Toehold on Trouble e 1 I tf x y s t 4 IR 4 ro s sA A gashed foot sooner or later is the inevitable result of or steadying a block of wood with your our foot when chopping by saying that early reports coming coming corning com corn ing into the National Safety council from many of the organizations which cooperated in arranging National National National Na Na- Farm Safety week activities in 46 states in 1944 indicate an even more successful week this year Lifetime of the implement has long been a yardstick whereby farm machinery care is measured But Dut there Is a far more important and better measurement the measurement the lifetime of the farmer And that's where the I farm safety program with its emi emphasis emphasis em em- i upon the relationship of the I human factor to the life lle span of farm folks comes in With this in mind manufacturers of ot farm equipment are doing a useful useful useful use use- ful job of urging users to take extra care in handling implements tractors tractors tractors trac trac- tors or other farm machines When the tractor for Instance was new and its friends so freely and correctly forecast the approach of power farming farming- it stirred critics who ranged from mild to bitter To catalog the criticisms would be an endless and unprofitable task but that's all out of the book of Genesis Genesis Genesis Gene sis of power farming It was soon proved again and again that a tractor tractor tractor trac trac- tor produced under good engineering and manufacturing auspices would stand up to the job for tor which it was designed Tractors kept getting better better better bet bet- ter and better Their betterment continues Maintenance Is a big element In such confidence Long ago the stronger retail implement dealers assembled good mechanics and nd organized organized organized or or- their shop-service shop depart depart- ments Many sent apprentices and senior mechanics as well to tractor factory schools Farm Safety Plan In the meantime the farmer himself himself himself him him- self has improved as his own service service service ice man Many young farmers have grown up in the new age of power farming and qualify as professional power farmers And today's farmer knows he can go to the shop of some dealer for repair and overhaul work that the farmer is not equipped to do Factory management by the way fought the battle of safety with shields over moving parts wherever these might menace workmen workmen with with shields and plenty of special training of foremen and workers in the technique technique technique tech tech- of safety This battle battIe goes on now with never a sign of letup Factory Factory Factory Fac Fac- tory men treat safety as one of their major concerns An unshielded machine machine machine ma ma- chine is a rarity in any well-run well plant To make life and limb safer for those who work with farm machinery machinery machin machin- ery the farm machinery manufacturers manufacturers manufacturers have developed and put into effect protective shields for tractor and type pull-type power drive Implements Implements implements ments power line and power takeoff takeoff takeoff take take- off shields so designed that the shield for any make of implement may be attached to the master shield bracket brack brack- et of any make of farm tractor Now the power line shield for any make or model of implement built to the standard could be connected to the master shield on any make or model of tractor A good job well done But what about the thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of implements and tractors already already already al al- ready in the hands bands of the farmer Isn't safety important to them too It is and soon provision was made to make available conversion packages packages packages pack pack- ages for old Implements so then the could be adapted for use with new tractors and old tractors converted to the standard so that new implements implements implements ments could be used with them In every way possible farmers are urged to use these shields never to operate a machine without them Conspicuous precautionary signs are posted on danger spots throughout implement and tractor alike Certain parts of any machinery must be regarded as functional elements elements elements ele ele- ments and cannot be completely shielded and still perform their job but even here we do have one real safeguard Man can think before he hc acts |