Embedded solutions for increasing safety in agricultural activities

A large number of serious accidents occur using a tractor which is not compliant with safety protection requirements, especially if the rollover protective structure (ROPS) is not installed, or it is temporarily folded to carry out particular field operations. Human error, i.e. the misuse of the protective structure or the deliberate violations of safety rules by operators resulted in being the main causes of such a situation. Therefore, a specific research work was performed using a reverse engineering approach with the aim of providing an embedded technical solution able to reduce the risks related to human error. With this goal, the design and development of a non-foldable ROPS for narrow-track wheeled tractors, able to eliminates the risk of misuse of the ROPS without making agricultural operations more difficult, was carried out. An innovative structure, called CoPROPS (Compact Profile Roll-Over Protective Structure) was designed and some prototypes were handcrafted to carry out practical field experiments. Then, after its validation, this solution was adapted and tested for most common types of tractors, and blueprints were put at disposal of all stakeholders. The availability of procedures already tested, which ensure that the structure complies with the EU safety requirements, reduces design and development costs, and expenses for the assessment of conformity. At the same time, the use of a four posts protective structure allowed the increase of the safety level, without decreasing the tractor’s usability.