Show Toehold on Trouble i. i v A gashed foot sooner or later it ii the tho inevitable result of steadying i r block of wood with your foot whet chopping ing into the National Safety council from many of the organizations which cooperated in arranging Na Na- National National National Farm Safety week activities in 46 states in 1944 indicate an even more successful week this year Lifetime L of the implement has long been a yardstick whereby farm machinery care is measured But there is a far more important and better the measurement the lifetime of the farmer And that's where the farm safety program with its em em- emphasis emphasis emphasis upon the relationship of the human factor to the life span of farm folks comes in With this in mind manufacturers of farm equipment are doing a use use- useful useful useful ful job of urging users to take extra care in handling implements trac trac- tractors tractors tractors 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 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 Gene Genesis Genesis Genesis sis of power farming It was soon proved again and again that a trac trac- tractor tractor tractor tor produced under good engineering and manufacturing auspices would stand up to the job for which it was designed Tractors kept getting bet bet- better better better ter and better Their betterment contin con s. s Maintenance is a big element in such confidence Long ago the stronger retail implement dealers assembled good mechanics and or or- organized organized organized 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 him him- himself himself himself 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 tech tech- technique technique technique of safety This battle goes on now with never a sign of letup Fac Fac- Factory Factory Factory tory men treat safety as one of their major concerns An unshielded ma ma- machine machine machine chine is a rarity in any well-run well plant To make life and limb safer for those who work with farm machin machin- machinery 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 take take- takeoff takeoff off shields so designed that the shield for any make of implement may bo be attached to the master shield brack brack- bracket et of any make of farm tractor Now the power line shield for any make Or r 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 donel I But what about the thou thousands sands of implements and tractors al already ready in the hands of the farmer Isn't safety important to them too It is and soon provision was made to make moke available conversion pack packages ages for old implements so they could be adapted for use with new tractors and old tractors converted to the standard so that new implements implements ments could be used with them In every way way- wa possible farmers arc urged to use these shields never to operate a n machine without them Conspicuous precautionary signs are posted on danger spots throughout implement and tractor alike Certain parts of any machinery machiner must be regarded as functional ele ele- elements elements elements ments and cannot be completely shielded and still perform their job but even here we do have one real rea safeguard Man can think before I he acts I |