Kubota encourages safe tractor operation and roll-over protective structures (ROPS)

While focusing on tractor and equipment safety is a year-round priority, Kubota Tractor Corporation is tapping into the National Safety Council’s (NSC) annual celebration of National Safety Month in June to bring added attention to tractor and equipment safety. This year marks the 11th anniversary of National Safety Month, which has the theme of “Celebrating Safe Communities.”

“The National Safety Council mission, which focuses on preventing accidental injury and death through education and awareness, is so important in all aspects of people’s lives,” says Greg Embury, vice president of sales and marketing, Kubota Tractor Corporation. “Now – as always – it is a great time to put safety first in people’s minds as they use tractors, lawn and garden equipment, construction and utility vehicles.”

The NSC has designated each of the four weeks in June with a specific safety focus:

1. June 4-8: Workplace safety
2. June 11-15: Driving safety
3. June 18-22: Emergency Preparedness
4. June 25-29: Safety in the Home and Community

Recognizing that these four priorities encompass important areas of tractor, mower and utility vehicle safety, Kubota encourages families and businesses to take time this month to review safety information for their equipment. Taking this simple action could prevent an accident or fatality.

This also is a good time to check to be sure that older tractors and equipment have a Rollover Protection Structure (ROPS) and seatbelt to provide a protective zone around the operator if a rollover should occur. Kubota has provided ROPS as standard equipment since 1985 – even before federal law required manufacturers to include ROPS on new tractors. Owners of early Kubota models can have a ROPS and safety belt retrofit to their tractors by contacting their local Kubota dealers.

“We strongly recommend the use of a ROPS and a seat belt. A ROPS and fastened seat belt provide a safety zone that may reduce chances of serious injury in the case of a rollover accident,” adds Embury. “Kubota has a long history of helping bring safety to the forefront by carefully engineering products with operator safety in mind, and by encouraging people to familiarize themselves with their equipment and its safe operation.”

To date, Kubota dealers throughout the country have installed more than 10,000 retrofits. According to the NSC, if all tractors were equipped with a ROPS and a seatbelt, about 350 lives would be saved each year.

Kubota also is a co-sponsor of Progressive Agriculture Safety Day™, an educational program designed to make farm and ranch life safer and healthier for all children through education and training. In 2007, 362 Safety Day events are planned in 35 states, six Canadian provinces, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa. These programs could reach more than 60,000 participants with the help of 19,000 adult and older-teen volunteers. To date, Safety Days have touched the lives of more than 580,000 children and adults in rural communities.

Kubota Tractor Corporation, Torrance, Calif., is the U.S. marketer and distributor of Kubota-branded equipment, including a complete line of tractors up to 103 PTO hp, performance-matched implements, compact and utility-class construction equipment, consumer lawn and garden equipment, commercial turf products and utility vehicles.