The following injuries resulted from hair becoming entangled in the rotating secondary driveline that powered the bale thrower. The injuries required extensive skin grafting and left her permanently disfigured. The scalping injuries described above represent only one form of entanglement. Entanglement may also result in amputations, other severe injuries, and death. In addition, between 1982 and 1986, there were an estimated 148 work-related hospital emergency room admissions annually for nonfatal injuries involving PTOs nationwide.
Entanglements involve recognized hazards and can be prevented.
The four serious injuries described in the MMWR involved an inadequate U-shaped guard, for which a retrofit has been available for nearly 16 years. Machinery accounted for 35 percent of all work-related deaths in agriculture between 1980 and 1988. In a study of eight states for the year 1989, machinery accounted for 29 percent of all nonfatal farming injuries. Although recent engineering designs have resulted in better shielding of drive shafts and other moving parts, farm machinery may remain in service for 40 years or more, and many farmers may be using machinery with inadequate shielding. Always follow the manufacturers' safety recommendations for machinery operation.