MIFACE INVESTIGATION REPORT #16MI149

SUBJECT: Farmer Died When Clothing Was Entangled in a Rotating Power 

Take Off Shaft

Summary

A 54-year old female farmer was killed in the fall of 2016 when her clothing became entangled 

in the unguarded rotating power take off (PTO) shaft of a tractor she was using to power a corn

elevator. She and the owner were 

using a PTO driveline to power a 

corn elevator, which in turn was 

used to transfer corn from a 

wagon into a corncrib. Once the 

elevator was running and the 

decedent had begun to unload the 

corn from the wagon onto the 

elevator, she suggested to the 

owner that he go harvest more 

corn while she continued by 

herself. About 20 minutes after 

the owner returned to the field to 

continue harvesting corn, the 

owner’s brother discovered the 

body of the decedent. The 

decedent’s clothing had become 

caught in the gear of the rotating power shaft where it connected to the corn elevator, leading to 

further entanglement of the decedent and extensive trauma. No part of the PTO driveline was 

guarded or shielded. Emergency response was called and the decedent was declared dead at the 

scene.

MIFACE identified the following key and possibly contributing factors:

 The entire power take off driveline, including the PTO stub on the tractor, the shaft, and 

the point of connection to the corn elevator were all unguarded during operation.

 Best safety practices regarding PTO operation were not observed; clothing with loose 

sleeves should not be worn and a task should not be performed while standing near 

and/or stepping over a rotating PTO shaft.

RECOMMENDATIONS

 Cover the entire power take off driveline, including the PTO stub on the tractor, the shaft, 

and the point of connection with shield or guards in good working condition whenever 

they are being operated.

Figure 1: The PTO-driven corn elevator and corncrib.
 Workers operating the tractor, and/or the equipment being powered by the PTO, should 

not wear loose-fitting clothing, clothing items or shoes with hanging strings, or dangling 

jewelry.

 Farmworkers, family, or anyone else working with farm machinery should be educated 

regarding PTO-related safety issues and best practices.

BACKGROUND

A 54-year old female farmer was killed in the fall of 2016 when her clothing became entangled 

in the unguarded rotating power take off (PTO) shaft of a tractor she was using to power a corn

elevator. MIFACE researchers were made aware of the fatality through the MIOSHA 24-hour 

ASAP reporting system. MIFACE contacted the farm owner, who agreed to be interviewed by 

MIFACE researchers. During the writing of this report, the death certificate, medical examiner 

and police reports, and the MIOSHA compliance file were reviewed. The pictures in this report 

are courtesy of the farm owner, who allowed the MIFACE investigators to take pictures of the 

farm as well as a reenactment of the scene of the incident.

The farm owner had been running the farm for 37 years, while the decedent had been living and 

working there for 7 years. The farm was approximately 200 acres in size, and grew corn, wheat, 

and hay. It also included structures for the raising of a small herd of about 40 cattle and several 

pigs. In the fall, the owner and the decedent would harvest the corn and load it into a corncrib

using a power take off-driven corn elevator, where they would dry it and then use it as feed for 

the livestock (Figure 1). This task took four to six weeks to complete every year, and the 

decedent had performed this work every fall since she had been at the farm and was very familiar 

with the tasks involved.

The owner stated that he had cautioned the decedent about the hazards associated with power 

take off shafts (as well as with tractors generally) while teaching her to do associated tasks 

around the farm. There was no formal safety program or training on the farm. 

The farm had also employed a farm hand until a couple of years before the incident. At the time 

of the incident, the farm owner and decedent were the only two individuals working on the farm. 

The brother of the owner was also present elsewhere on the property on the day of the incident, 

setting up a blind to hunt for deer. 
Remediation

Following the incident, the owner 

had a custom sheath made of PVC 

pipe constructed and installed around 

the power take off shaft connected to 

the corn elevator (where the owner 

left it, only having connected and 

disconnected the shaft at the tractor 

end). The sheath was held in place 

and fixed at the height of the PTO 

connection via both a wooden post 

planted into the ground at the tractor 

end and an attachment to the corn

elevator itself at the other end (Figure 

2).

MIOSHA Citations

There was no employee-employer relationship established; therefore, MIOSHA did not have 

jurisdiction to issue citations in response to this fatality. 

INVESTIGATION

The decedent and owner had started harvesting corn the morning of the incident, and it was the 

first day of this process for the fall of 2016. The corn was loaded into a wagon. Once the wagon 

was full, the farm owner positioned its discharge door directly above the base of a 1970’s Model 

176 New Idea corn elevator using 

a John Deere 990 Compact Utility 

tractor.

The corn elevator, which 

transported the harvested corn 

into the corncrib, had been 

purchased in a used condition by 

the farm owner. The elevator was 

powered by the tractor’s 58-inch 

power take off driveline. The 

farm owner backed the tractor 

and wagon so that the wagon was 

situated perpendicular to the end 

of the elevator, with the tractor 

facing south, the wagon to the 

Figure 2: PTO shaft sheath

Figure 3: Recreation of incident scene and layout
north of the tractor, and the wagon’s discharge door directly above the elevator to the west

(Figure 3). To unload the corn, the farm owner and/or the decedent opened the wagon door, 

which was located on the side and center of the wagon. The wagon door was opened and closed 

through the rotating of a wheel via the pulling of a looped chain, which cranked the door open or 

closed along its tracks.

The PTO shaft, the elevator itself, and the tractor formed a small rectangular space with 

approximately 16 inches present between the shaft to the west and the wagon to the east. The 

PTO shaft, as well as the points of connection to both the tractor and the corn elevator, were 

unguarded. The owner stated that he was never in possession of guards for the shaft or the PTO 

stub on the tractor itself.

Once the PTO (rotating at 540 revolutions per minute) was connected to the elevator and 

powering its conveyor, the owner and the decedent began unloading the corn through the wagon

door. The owner and the decedent then positioned themselves on the north side of the elevator 

facing the rear of the wagon, and began pushing corn out of the wagon with the help of a shovellike instrument with a handle approximately 8 feet long.

At this time, the decedent suggested that the owner begin harvesting more corn while she 

finished unloading the wagon. After the owner expressed some trepidation at leaving the 

decedent, the decedent insisted that she could finish the task alone and the owner left to continue 

harvesting corn. The owner left her positioned on the north side of the elevator. At some point, 

the decedent repositioned herself to the south side of the elevator. It was unknown whether the 

decedent walked to the east around the wagon and tractor to get to the south side of the elevator, 

or walked under the elevator itself, although the latter was a more direct and likely route.

Approximately 20 minutes later, the owner’s brother, who was using a deer blind located in a 

wooded part of the property, was walking back through the farm and discovered the decedent

entangled in the PTO shaft on the south side of the elevator. He stopped the tractor and PTO and 

went to retrieve the owner, at which point they called emergency services on the way back to the 

location of the incident. 

The weather on the day of the incident was sunny and without precipitation (nor had there been 

precipitation in the days prior to the incident). Police photographs do not suggest that the ground 

was muddy or slippery. However, the ground at the incident location was uneven and rutted, and 

several farm implements and tools were on the ground immediately around the elevator, any of

which may have presented a trip hazard.

The farm owner suggested several plausible scenarios as to why the decedent may have moved 

from the north side to the south side of the corn elevator where the tractor and PTO shaft were 

located. These include:

 She had relocated to the other side to better retrieve the corn remaining in the wagon, as 

he estimated that the wagon was mostly empty at the time he returned to the location. 

 She may have sought to retrieve corn from the ground around the base of the conveyor.
 She might have attempted to raise or lower the wagon door by pulling on the side of the 

loop of chain located nearest the PTO. 

The owner said standing in this location, on the side of the elevator nearest the PTO, was not 

something they normally did during this task, owing to the recognized hazard of the PTO shaft 

and the much greater overall restriction compared to the space available on the side opposite the 

tractor. 

It was difficult to tell from police photographs whether the decedent was originally within the 

small rectangular area bordered by the shaft, tractor, wagon, and elevator, or whether she was 

outside of it on the other side of the shaft when she first became entangled. The sleeves of the 

decedent’s fleece sweatshirt and long-sleeved t-shirt that became caught in a gear located where 

the PTO shaft connected to the elevator. It is unclear whether the decedent had reached to steady 

or brace herself on the elevator while stepping over the shaft, or had reached instinctively to do 

the same after tripping somewhere in the area. Alternatively, the owner stated in the interview 

that the decedent had a condition that often caused her to lose her balance, become unsteady, and 

even fall, and that she had previously seen a neurologist to diagnose and treat this condition, but 

had not yet had success. The owner stated that she was not on any medication at the time of the 

incident.

CAUSE OF DEATH

The cause of death as listed by the medical examiner on the death certificate was multiple blunt 

force injuries. The decedent was found to have nicotine and caffeine in her blood; all other 

toxicological tests were negative.

RECOMMENDATIONS

 Cover the entire power take off driveline, including the PTO stub on the tractor, the shaft, 

and the point of connection with shield or guards in good working condition whenever 

they are being operated.

Each of the power take off driveline’s components should be shielded and guarded during and 

between PTO operations. These include a PTO “master shield” for the PTO stub on the tractor 

itself, a shield for the full length of the PTO or implement input driveline shaft, and a shield for 

the input point on the equipment. Many older tractors and pieces of equipment either did not 

come with this type of shielding system (as in this incident), or may have had guards or shields 

that subsequently became broken or lost. Lost or broken shielding should be immediately 

replaced. There are many ways to retrofit older pieces of equipment with shielding systems.

Shields and guards should be tested regularly to ensure they are not broken or malfunctioning.
Following this incident, the owner had an inexpensive shield designed for the PTO driveline 

shaft out of PVC piping (see Figure 1, above), propped up by (and bolted to, to prevent the shield 

itself from spinning) a wooden post on the end to 

be connected to the tractor PTO stub and an 

attachment to the corn elevator itself on the other 

end. Though this new shield provided protection 

from the PTO driveshaft, it still left the connection 

points to the tractor and elevator (Figure 4) mostly 

unguarded. Notably, since it appeared that the 

decedent’s sleeves became caught at the point 

where the driveshaft connected to the elevator, 

making sure such connection points are fully 

shielded is important to preventing similar 

accidents from occurring in the future. MIFACE 

researchers mentioned to the farm owner that this 

connection point should also be shielded; he agreed 

and indicated he would do so. Additionally, the 

shaft on the base of the elevator on the south side 

was also not shielded. This was pointed out to the 

farm owner; he hadn’t recognized the potential 

entanglement hazard and immediately indicated he 

would take care of the issue.

 Workers operating the tractor, or the equipment being powered by the PTO, should not 

wear loose-fitting clothing, clothing items or shoes with hanging strings, or dangling 

jewelry.

A PTO rotating at 540 RPM can wrap up 7 feet of fabric in only 1 second. It is essential that 

farmers and their family members, coworkers, or employees not wear any loose or dangling 

clothing, strings, or jewelry that can get caught or wrapped up in any part of the PTO system 

when operating PTO-driven equipment. Work clothing should be well-fitting and zippered or 

buttoned, not open. Frayed or loose-fitting clothes, jackets, and sweatshirts with drawstrings and 

boots or shoed with long shoelaces should be avoided. Long hair should be secured under a hat 

with bands or clips. In this incident, it is presumed that the decedent’s fleece sweatshirt and longsleeved shirt had baggy enough sleeves or cuffs that they became caught in the rotation of the 

PTO without her touching any of the driveline components directly.

 Farmworkers, family, or anyone else working with farm machinery should be educated 

regarding PTO-related safety issues and best practices.

On farms where hazardous machinery, including PTO-driven equipment, are used, anyone that

might operate the equipment or work on a task involving the equipment should be educated 

Figure 4: Unprotected PTO-elevator connection point 

with new PTO shaft shielding
regarding the hazards present and the controls and practices that best mitigate the associated 

risks. This includes the above points regarding PTO shielding and precautions about loose-fitting 

clothing. Everyone should be instructed to never operate an unshielded PTO, and to always 

disengage the PTO, shut off the tractor, and apply the parking brake before attempting any 

adjustments to the equipment or any other service, repair, or cleaning. It should also be 

emphasized how important it is to never step over or reach across or under a rotating PTO shaft, 

and that walking around the entirety of the PTO driveline is the only safe option. In this instance, 

the extraction of corn from the wagon while the PTO was running and powering the corn 

elevator should only be completed using a long-handled instrument or rake that allows the 

operator to stand away from the PTO, and any adjustments to the wagon or its door, or any 

attempts to recover corn that had fallen onto the ground, that require walking or reaching near 

the PTO should only be attempted with the tractor powered off and PTO stopped. Alternatively, 

equipment should be used that allows these tasks to be completed without approaching the 

running PTO (collecting corn off the ground using the same instrument used to extract the corn 

from the wagon, for example). It is possible that if these messages were delivered explicitly and 

repeatedly, the decedent may have decided not to attempt whichever part of her task required her 

to relocate to the area immediately adjacent to the PTO driveline.

KEY WORDS: Agriculture, Machine, Power Take Off, Tractor, Entanglement

RESOURCES

MIOSHA standards cited in this report may be found at and downloaded from the MIOSHA, 

Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) website at: 

www.michigan.gov/mioshastandards. MIOSHA standards are available by writing to: Michigan 

Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), MIOSHA Regulatory Services Section, 

Stevens T. Mason Building, 530 W. Allegan Street, Lansing, Michigan 48933, calling (517) 284-

7740, or by FAX (517) 284-7735.

 MIOSHA Agricultural Safety Standard, Part 53, Farm Field Equipment.

More information regarding the hazards associated with PTOs and other rotating farm 

machinery, as well as a list of further resources, can be found in this hazard alert disseminated 

via the MIFACE program, as well as from the following resources:

 Shield Yourself from PTO Dangers. National Ag Safety Database, Michigan State 

University Extension.

 Power Take-Off (PTO Safety. Penn State Extension.

Other MIFACE investigations involving similar fatalities:

 Farm Youth Died When He Became Entangled in an Unguarded PTO Shaft
 Farm Laborer Killed When He Became Entangled in an Unguarded PTO Shaft.

MIFACE (Michigan Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation), Michigan State University 

(MSU) Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 909 Fee Road, 117 West Fee Hall, East 

Lansing, Michigan 48824-1315; http://www.oem.msu.edu. This information is for educational 

purposes only. This MIFACE report becomes public property upon publication and may be 

printed verbatim with credit to MSU. Reprinting cannot be used to endorse or advertise a 

commercial product or company. All rights reserved. MSU is an affirmative-action, equal 

opportunity employer.