365 research outputs found
La distribuzione degli agrofarmaci
No full textLa difesa delle colture agrarie oggigiorno è di norma attuata mediante la distribuzione di prodotti di sintesi che richiedono precisione e tempestività nell’applicazione. L’approccio promosso a livello europeo riconosce nella sostenibilità ambientale degli agrofarmaci l’obiettivo da perseguire nella produzione e sintesi dei prodotti, nella preparazione delle miscele fitoiatriche e nella distribuzione in campo
Sicurezza e impiego delle macchine agricole
No full textLa sicurezza e l’impiego delle macchine agricole sono due elementi che richiedono un’adeguata formazione dell’operatore per potere raggiungere l’o- biettivo della prevenzione dei rischi e della protezione durante l’esecuzione del lavoro agricolo
TRACTOR CAB TO PROTECT THE OPERATOR FROM HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES IN SPRAY APPLICATION
No full textCrop protection is mostly carried out spraying active chemical agents with potential impact on the health of environment, operator and consumer. Recently the European Commission played an important role in the protection of the operator with respect to hazardous substances during spray application. An active protection offered by tractor cab is a new requirement when the machine is used in the crop protection. The solution to be adopted by the tractor manufacturers is the fitment of cab with an air delivery and filtration system.
The subject is quite recent but a dedicated standard has been developed, the EN 15695:2009, to define the testing procedure to evaluate the performance of these cabs. However some lacks of information are evident in the standard application and only few prototypes of cabs which provides protection against dust, aerosols and vapors fitted on self-propelled sprayers are nowadays on the market.
The goal of the work has been to design and test in field a cab prototype with an air delivery and filtration system fitted on a narrow-track tractor for orchard and vineyard. Two years test was carried out. Firstly a cab was designed and fitted on the tractor starting from a commercial model already existing, modifying completely the roof in order to locate the new larger active carbon filters required by the European standard. Then the tractor-cab platform was completely isolated in order to reach the required pressure level into the cab. Once the cab was ready and the standard requirements were fulfilled the tractor was tested in orchard and vineyard for one year at the experimental farm of the University of Bologna.
The results of the tests showed a positive performance for the prototype but highlighted the need to improve the standardised procedure with additional points on the advisable use and maintenance of the cab during the normal field operation. A crucial issue is the performance evaluation of the active carbon filters in use on agricultural tractors because the exposition of filters to external environmental conditions and the use of water mixed with pesticides seems to strongly affect the filter duration
Models to predict the force to operate front foldable rollover protective structures for narrow-track tractors
No full textNarrow-track tractors are specifically designed to operate in narrow clearance areas, such as orchards and vineyards. A specific rollover protective structure (ROPS) was developed with a reduced clearance zone. Front mounted on the tractor it was designed to be lowered, if strictly required, to perform normal operations. However, this feature of the ROPS has been incorrectly used and this can be responsible for fatal injuries to the driver. The actuation force for raising and lowering the foldable ROPS is a function of design parameters, such as the mass, dimensions and hinge connection between the free upper and the fixed lower part of the structure. Nevertheless the accessible tractor zones and ROPS grasping area influence the operator's position in manual handling and affect the actuation force to be sustained during operation. Three theoretical models were developed to predict the actuation force using as reference ROPS shape, ROPS main dimensions and material density. The proposed models could help tractor and ROPS manufacturers to calculate the force required for operating the ROPS, planning the need for assisting devices when manual handling ROPS. Six new narrow-track tractors mounted with front foldable ROPS were evaluated in terms of their dimensions and the ROPS accessible zones for the operator. Results showed that the actuation force became higher, increasing the mass and dimensions of the tractors, not only because of the heavier ROPS but also for the uncomfortable zone during ROPS actuation. Near the articulation hinge of the ROPS the actuation torque is characterised by a higher force
Tractor ROPS and stability research: Introduction to this special issue
No full textAgricultural production has clearly benefited from the development of the tractor. The tractor provides a traction device and mobile power source. However, oper- ating large equipment with high clearance on uneven ground leads to stability and overturn issues. Around the world, tractor overturns are still a leading cause of agri- cultural production fatalities.
This special issue of the Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health focuses on recent research on tractor ROPS (rollover protective structures) and stability. Engineers and scientists in both Italy and the U.S. have been working on these topics, attempting to solve old problems and address rising issues. Understanding the factors leading to tractor instability, investigating the structures protecting the operator, and examining the contin- uous roll potential will all lead to increased operator protection and reduced fatalities
Il ruolo della meccanizzazione nell'agricoltura attuale
No full textConsiderando che l’agricoltura nel suo complesso si caratterizza sempre più nel ruolo di gestore e di tutore dell’ambiente e delle tradizioni, l’agricoltura biologica può rappresentare un modello di riferimento entro il quale attuare iniziative che possano fare da traino anche per l’agricoltura convenzionale. Coerentemente con l’evoluzione delle recenti normative europee e nazionali volte alla tutela ambientale e con la progressiva importanza assunta dall’agricoltura biologica e integrata, la ricerca ha avuto un ruolo strategico per realizzare una maggiore sostenibilità di tutto il settore agricolo. La recente emanazione delle Direttive 2009/127/CE e 2009/128/CE sull’uso sostenibile dei prodotti fitosanitari, recepita dal D. Lgs. 150/2012 e dal Piano di Azione Nazionale (PAN) di prossima entrata in vigore, porterà ad una significativa attenzione alla progettazione e alla gestione delle macchine irroratrici con conseguente ammodernamento del parco macchine nazionale, caratterizzato oggi da un elevato numero di mezzi obsoleti. Il contributo della ricerca ha interessato lo sviluppo di tecniche di protezione delle colture alternative alla difesa chimica accompagnando il progresso dell’agricoltura biologica e fornendo agli agricoltori strumenti efficaci per il controllo delle avversità
Tractor rollover fatalities, analyzing accident scenario
No full textIntroduction: In many countries, traditional data sources for collecting injuries of workers covered by compulsory accident insurance have recently been integrated by new observatories whose results may differ. A comparative analysis of the Italian data collection systems related to fatal tractor accidents in agriculture was performed focus- ing on tractor rollover fatalities with the aim of analyzing the accident scenario. Method: Data from the Opera- tional Archives of the Italian Workers Compensation Authority (INAIL), which collects injuries of workers covered by compulsory accident insurance and those of the National Surveillance System (INAIL_ASL), which provides narrative text reports of work-related fatal accidents have been analyzed and compared to the informa- tion collected by the INAIL Observatory. The INAL Observatory was recently set up to complement the collection of fatal accidents involving agricultural machinery. Italian data were then compared to data available at an inter- national level. Fatal tractor accidents vary considerably with respect to fatal accidents in agriculture, being 10.6 and 43.7% for the Operational Archives and Surveillance System, respectively. National Surveillance System records, implemented with narrative texts allowed the accident scenario to be defined. Results: 71.7% of fatal trac- tor-related accidents refer to non-ROPS equipped vehicles and of these, 26.5% involved machines originally mounted with a ROPS that had been removed or was inoperative in the folded-down position during the rollover event. Just one fatal event from a collapsed ROPS on the overturned tractor was recorded. It is interesting that 16.6% of fatal accidents involved a clear environmental factor. Practical application: A campaign to train tractor drivers on the correct use of the combination ROPS and seatbelt can contribute to decreasing rollover events with fatal outcomes. Contemporarily a strict requirement to install ROPS and a seatbelt on tractors, combined to an official inspection at the farm level, can increase the chance of survival in a rollover accident
A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF DATA COLLECTION ON TRACTOR ROLLOVER ACCIDENTS IN ITALY
No full textTractor accidents represent a key issue for safety in agriculture because tractor is the leading cause of dead in farming due to both its widespread use and the high number of rollovers per year. To estimate the impact of these events statistical studies are considerably important. The availability and reliability of data, in particular, are essential to understand the problem and its causes, and therefore to devise strategies to reduce risks for agricultural operators.
Such an intensely agricultural country as Italy is definitely a case of great interest in this type of research especially since in recent years, as in other European countries, there has been the approach to complement the institutions collecting data for insurance purposes with observatories monitoring injuries.
The comparison of data from different sources and the assessment of their level of reliability becomes important for the type of information required in order to choose the most suitable. A critical approach is particularly appropriate in evaluating tractor rollover accidents; in fact, official statistics related to work insurance are in Italy, as well as in many European countries, coded according to the European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW) methodology that does not provide a precise definition of the dynamics of the rollover accidents thus making it very difficult to assess the event. Furthermore it does not details the existence of the protection devices, rollover protection structures and seat belts, and their correct installation when the accident occurred. In addition tractor rollover concerns largely retired and hobbyists who are neglected by the estimates related to insurance coverage.
The different databases have different objectives and, consequently, different data, and none covers the full range of accidents necessary for a complete characterization of the issue, focusing mainly on matters of interest to the institutions that have created them. So combining data from different sources is necessary to obtain basic information such as the percentage of overturn fatalities compared to total tractor overturns. Thus the goal of the work was to evaluate the data contained in Italian accidents archives. The results allowed to suggest a methodology for comparing information from different sources and to provide a procedure that can be useful for any country adopting a data collection system based on the combination of insurance institutions and observatories
Evaluation of a commercial tractor safety monitoring system using a reverse engineering procedure
No full textThere is a high rate of work-related deaths in agriculture. In Italy, despite the obligatory installation of ROPS, fatal accidents involving tractors represent more than 40% of work-related deaths in agriculture. As death is often due to an overturn that the driver is incapable of predicting, driver assistance devices that can signal critical stability conditions have been studied and marketed to prevent accidents. These devices measure the working parameters of the tractor through sensors and elaborate the values using an algorithm that, taking into account the geometric characteristics of the tractor, provides a risk index based on models elaborated on a theoretical basis. This research aimed to verify one of these stability indexes in the field, using a commercial driver assistance device to monitor five tractors on the University of Bologna experimental farm. The setup of the device involved determining the coordinates of the center of gravity of the tractor and the implement mounted on the tractor. The analysis of the stability index, limited to events with a significant risk level, revealed a clear separation into two groups: events with high values of roll or pitch and low speeds, typical of a tractor when working, and events with low values of roll and pitch and high steering angle and forward speed, typical of travel on the road. The equation for calculating the critical speed when turning provided a significant contribution only for events that were typical of travel rather than field work, suggesting a diversified calculation approach according to the work phase
Comparing the influence of Roll-Over Protective Structure type on tractor lateral stability
No full textTractor overturns are a major cause of death in agriculture. Many variables are involved. The Roll-Over Protective Structure (ROPS) has been invented to minimise the risks of driver injuries in a tractor overturn. Narrow-track tractors for orchard and vineyard operations are mainly available with two different ROPS types: an enclosed cab frequently fitted with filters and air-conditioning system or a simple two post ROPS designed to be folded down to allow the tractor to operate in a reduced surrounding space. Concerning stability, the tractor lateral stability angle is the result of the tractor configuration and its position with respect to the ground slope. The aim of the paper was to study the effect of ROPS type on tractor stability performance. The tractor stability parameters were evaluated on 22 modern narrow-track tractors measuring mass, track-width, wheelbase, Centre of Gravity (CoG) and Moments of Inertia (MoI). The evaluation considered pairs of tractors equipped with two post ROPS and cab ROPS. In the design of compact narrow-track tractors the cab fitment keeps the wheelbase and track-width of the tractor unchanged with respect to the front foldable ROPS but affects the mass, position of the CoG and longitudinal and transversal MoI. Data show an increase in tractor mass and higher CoG and MoI for the cab fitment with respect to the two post ROPS. A recent international debate on the safety performance of two post ROPS was consequent to the incorrect use of the foldable ROPS in field operations. Cab ROPS is thus often claimed to provide higher protection to the driver. This investigation denotes that on sloping fields narrow- track tractors fitted with a cab ROPS reach the lateral unstable state at a lower angle than two post ROPS tractors; consequently, the stability performance of the tractor worsens
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