Farmer caught in compression rollers of hay baler

The following report is the product of our Cooperative State partner and is presented here in its original unedited form from the state. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the individual Cooperative State partner and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

SUMMARY

An 85-year-old farmer was caught in the compression rollers of a hay baler while baling cured hay on his farm in south central Iowa during the spring of 2009. He was seen by neighbors at approximately 11:45 AM, but when he did not arrive for lunch at 12:30 PM, his wife went out to the field and found him at the baler with both arms caught in the compression rollers. She ran to the house of a neighbor who called 911. Another neighbor, who was an emergency responder, heard the call on his scanner; he and his son arrived at the site and turned off the tractor and power takeoff (PTO), but the victim remained trapped. Rescue personnel arrived and while attempting to remove the victim determined he was not breathing. Rescue operations were stopped at 1:10 PM.

Farmer caught in compression rollers of hay baler [PDF 577 KB]