Two tractor rollovers in less than a week in the region have farm safety officials worried and anxious to get out the word about farm and tractor safety.
A Meaford area man and a man working near Mount Forest were both seriously injured in separate roll over accidents last weekend.
Dean Anderson is with the Farm Safety Association of Ontario and says 50 per cent of all the machinery accidents on the farm, involve tractor roll overs.
He says at this time of year, farmers are anxious to get out working on the land and because of the soil conditions often get stuck.
Anderson says while tractors are generally very stable, they are very powerful machines, and it does not take much to create a difficult and sometimes fatal situation.
He says hooking up in the wrong way can quickly lift the front end up over backward or getting too close to an embankment or ditch on unstable soil can result in a sideways roll over.
Anderson also says fatigue is another factor in tractor mishaps.
He recommends that operators take a break and get out of the tractor to relax for a bit so they don’t get too tired.
He also says its essential that tractor operators make sure to use their seat belts, because if there is a roll over, they will be protected from being thrown from the machine and possibly crushed by it.