AGRICULTURAL SAFETY

Completed CROPS Installation

Cost-effective Rollover Protective Structures (CROPS)

The NIOSH Division of Safety Research and Protective Technology Branch has developed a cost-effective rollover protective structures (CROPS) as an alternative to installing commercially available ROPS, which are hard to find, or as an option for older wheeled agricultural tractors for which ROPS are not commercially available. CROPS have been designed for four tractor models: (1) Ford 8N, (2) Ford 3000, (3) Ford 4000, and (4) Massey Ferguson 135. The NIOSH CROPS for each of the tractor models listed was successfully tested in accordance with Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) industry standard performance test SAE J2194.

The available designs can be used either by

• an individual to build a NIOSH CROPS for their privately owned tractor
• a company to build and sell a NIOSH CROPS.

Certain parts must be manufactured by a facility that can bend 0.5-inch-thick plate steel (A572-Grade 50). Other parts can be manufactured using a band saw and a drill press. All welded parts must be welded by a professional welder using the appropriate welding procedures for a minimum temperature of -22°F (-30°C) as stated in the SAE J2194 standard. This is an absolute requirement regardless of temperature ranges in the end users local area.

In addition to having a ROPS or CROPS on the tractor, the tractor operator should always wear a seat belt for maximum protection in the event of a tractor rollover.

Disclaimers

Any deviation from the published designs or the installation of a CROPS on a tractor for which it was not intended will invalidate the performance of the CROPS. In the event of a rollover, operators will not be provided with the level of protection established by SAE J2194.

NIOSH is providing these CROPS designs and installation instructions to the public pursuant to its mission and is not offering any guarantee of any kind. Any user of the designs and installation instructions agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the United States government from any claims, costs, damages or losses that may arise from or through use of the designs and installation instructions. It is further agreed that the user will not by its action bring the United States government into any lawsuit involving the designs or installation instructions.

Ford 8N – rear and side views after CROPS installation

As of December 19, 2012, 82 NIOSH CROPS have been installed in the states of New York, Virginia, Vermont, Pennsylvania, California, and West Virginia. The installations in New York were facilitated by the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH) at the NIOSH Northeast Center for Agricultural and Occupational Health (NEC) located in Cooperstown, NY. The installations in Vermont were facilitated by NYCAMH/NEC through a partnership with the University of Vermont Extension. The installations in Virginia were facilitated by the Virginia Farm Bureau. The installations in Pennsylvania are facilitated through a partnership with The Pennsylvania State University. The installations in California were facilitated by the University of California, Davis and the West Virginia installation was facilitated by NIOSH. As of December 19, 2012, these efforts led to 82 NIOSH CROPS installed on older tractors in six states. ( View the 2012 Field Installation Pictures Cdc-pdf[PDF – 2,305 KB] )

82 CROPS installed as of December 19, 2012

CROPS Installation Information

Ford 8N

Ford 3000

Ford 4000

Massey Ferguson 135