PTO shafts which are not properly guarded can maim or kill in seconds. However many still operate equipment without a guard fitted or where the guard is defective. Choosing a good quality PTO guard and keeping it properly maintained can save your life. Broken, damaged or badly fitting guards can be just as dangerous as no guards at all.
Power take-off shafts must be guarded at all times. Guards should be made to a recognised standard (such as BS EN ISO 5674), be the correct size and length for the shaft, and not rotate.
If you need access several times each day to a guarded dangerous part of a machine, check that interlocking safeguards are in position and that the machine cannot run when a guard is open.
Check your guard daily for defects and maintain in accordance with the manufacturers instructions.
Never try to clear blockages from a PTO driven machine when it is running: always remember “Safe Stop”
- Handbrake on
- Controls in Neutral
- Engine off
- Keys Out
Case Study
A fleece winding machine was being used to wind up lengths of rope on a polytunnel when the tractor driver left the cab without turning the engine off. Several hours later, the bodies of two farm workers were found entangled between the rope and a rotating shaft.
The HSE produce a detailed guide on PTO shafts which can be found here.