Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Report for Minnesota: Farmer Dies After He Became Caught in the Rollers of a Corn Picker

摘要

A 27-year-old male farmer (victim) died after he became caught in a corn picker. He used a tractor and a pull-type corn picker to pick a field of corn. The power-take-off (PTO) driven corn picker was hooked to the tractor's drawbar and a wagon was hooked to the corn picker. The victim drove the tractor pulling the corn picker and wagon to a cornfield near his farm place. While he operated the tractor and corn picker, he apparently noticed a problem with the corn picker and stopped the tractors forward movement to investigate. After he stopped the tractor, he dismounted from it. The tractor engine was left running and the power-take-off was not disengaged. He walked to the area between the back of the operating corn picker and the wagon. For unknown reasons he reached into the area near the husking rollers and apparently the sleeve of his coat became caught between two of the rollers. A neighbor noticed the tractor and corn picker in the field. He could hear the tractor running but after it remained in the same spot longer than what he considered a normal stop, he walked to the field to investigate. He found the victim caught in the corn picker. He used his cell phone to place a call to emergency personnel. Rescue personnel arrived at the scene shortly after being notified. They pronounced the victim dead at the scene prior to freeing him from the picker.