Abstract
Diesel powered equipment is in widespread use throughout agriculture, construction, mining, forestry, and other outdoor industries. In the event of an accident involving a turnover or collision, there is a high probability that the engine will continue to run, possibly presenting a severe hazard to the operator as well as to other persons in the area. This paper presents the results of a pilot study designed to survey the ability of persons to locate and correctly operate the shutoff control on a diesel engine. This ability is studied as a function of the type of control and its marking and also as a function of individual experience with power equipment in general. Training did not have a significant effect in reducing the time required to shut off the diesel tractors tested. Since the user population in this case could represent anyone able to help in an emergency, a larger survey employing untrained subjects is recommended.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.