[AT] From AP Man cuts off his arm to free it from a antique cornpicker.

[Ralph Goff]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Thomas O Mehrkam" <tmehrkam at sbcglobal.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 6:46 AM
Subject: [AT] From AP Man cuts off his arm to free it from a antique 
cornpicker.


Man cuts his arm off after it gets caught in farm machinery

I watched this news item on CNN today also. The guy is very lucky to be 
alive. Here its usually a round baler that does it. I know of one farmer who 
lost both arms, the other his life after having arms caught in the belts of 
a round baler.. I've read that farming is about the most dangerous business 
to be involved in. I try to remember that every time I work around 
machinery. I am guilty of removing safety shields from equipment for 
servicing and not replacing them because it is just too much trouble.
There was a similar incident in Sask. a few years ago where a farmer got his 
hand caught in the workings of his rock picker out in the field. Working 
alone and nobody missed him for hours. Cell phone was out of reach in the 
tractor cab.  After many hours he finally used his pocket knife to cut off 
either some fingers or a thumb but I think eventuallly he had to have the 
hand amputated. Could easily have been me as I work alone most of the time 
and the phone is usually in the tractor cab.
Age tends to slow down our reaction time, hearing and balance not quite what 
they used to be, all combine to increase the risk. Hopefully patience and 
common sense will also increase as  we age and that will compensate.
-10 below zero and snowing here today. Downright miserable even for 
Saskatchewan.

Ralph in Sask.