Few aware of Chinese imports

In last week’s Irish Farmers Journal we carried an article highlighting the fact that poor quality and illegal PTO shafts, many of Chinese origin, are being sold on the Irish market, exposing Irish farmers and their employees to significant dangers.

The dangers are twofold – either injury or worse due to the mechanical failure of a poor quality shaft cover and shaft, and legal liability for a PTO shaft that is illegal to use.

For PTO shafts, the CE approval applies primarily to the PTO cover, safety chains and instructions. The purpose of CE marking is to ensure that the minimum health and safety requirements are obeyed.

The shaft covers are tested for durability in a series of standard internationally approved tests in laboratory conditions.

The shaft covers are tested with various loading levels to simulate real working conditions. They are also tested to ensure the durability of the holding chains, the shaft cover holding rings and the plastic covering material.

PTO shafts without the essential markings and documentation are non-CE certified and are considered to be dangerous. It is also illegal to sell them. The differences between the markings shown on the shafts of Chinese origin compared with properly approved CE shafts are very subtle in that the letters are not correctly spaced.

Very few farmers or contractors would spot that difference. What is more obvious is that all PTO shaft covers must carry the manufacturer’s name and address in addition to the safety markings.

This is about the only clear way for farmers and contractors to identify the differences as the Chinese origin shaft covers do not carry the manufacturer’s name.

The message is clear: if the PTO shaft does not carry the manufacturer’s name, as shown in the attached label, do not buy this shaft.

The Health and Safety Authority has been made aware of the issue and has a copy of the investigation in its possession for a number of weeks.

IFA Comment

A breach of trust to put lives at risk

IFA National Environment Chairman Harold Kingston said: “it is always important when buying or repairing farm equipment to use a supplier you can trust and equipment that is designed for safe use.”

“It is a serious breach of trust for anyone to make or sell unsafe products, and sellers should realise that they are putting their customers’ health or even lives at risk.”

HSA wants non-compliant PTOs taken off market

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has issued the Irish Farmers Journal with a statement on the issue of the sale of low quality PTO shaft covers, following last week’s report.

Pat Griffin, Senior Inspector with the HSA told the Journal: “We have been made aware of this issue and we are investigating it. We will do everything to ensure that non-compliant products are taken off the market.

“Farmers should use reputable dealers when sourcing any equipment that is CE marked.”

According to the HSA, the minimum information that should be marked legibly and indelibly (i.e. not just a sticky label) on the guard for a PTO drive unit is:

CE marking

Name and address of the manufacturer

Designation of series or type

Year of construction

Indication as to which end of the drive shaft is to be linked to the tractor.

A declaration of conformity should be supplied as part of the documentation accompanying the equipment. This declaration should clearly identify the manufacturer, type of equipment, whether any notified body has been used for the conformity assessment procedures and the standards used for the manufacture of the unit as well as some other administrative information.

It is important to note that guards for removable mechanical transmission devices (e.g. PTO drive shafts) are classed as “safety components” under the Machinery Directive and therefore are subject to CE marking and conformity assessment.

In conclusion Pat Griffin stated: “These guards don’t last forever and care must be used when working with them.

“If the guard is broken or damaged it should be replaced immediately.”

The HSA are working on an information note that will be available to published on www.hsa.ie shortly.

Testing PTO shafts – an international standard for your protection

PTO shaft covers are tested to an international standard on a regular basis. The shaft covers are subjected to a series of tests to ensure that they can withstand the rigours of work on farms.

They are tested for the durability of the plastic covers, the bearing holding rings, the strength of the holding chains and the ability to be maintained.

The covers are subjected to impact tests over a range of conditions, including down to a temperature of -35 degrees Celcius. The shaft covers are expected to withstand a significant impact equivalent to the weight of an average person.

The bearing holding rings are also subjected to loadings to test their ability to withstand a rotating load. As many of these are made from plastic type materials, they are tested for ability to withstand the heat experienced under load.

The restraining chains are also tested for strength. If they are too strong, they will not break as required, leading to excessive loading on the shaft. It they are too weak, the chains may break in the wrong place, leading to a swinging chain causing additional injury.

The design requirement is that the chain will break off at the machine end under pressure. This will stop swinging in the event of a break. The shafts tested as part of the industry investigation failed to meet some of these mechanical standards set for them.

Choosing and fitting a guard

It is worthwhile repeating the message from last week when buying a guard with a PTO drive shaft. Firstly, make sure it has the CE mark on it and that it has the name and address of the manufacturer shown on the label. It must have a Declaration of Conformity printed in the instruction book, which shows it complies with the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.

If in doubt, ask the supplier. PTO drive shaft guards sold individually do have to have the CE mark on them. Users have a duty to make sure that the equipment they buy meets any relevant legislation.

If buying a guard on its own, check with your supplier that it has been made and tested to the appropriate standard, EN 12956 and ISO 5647, for wear and strength.

Make sure the guard is the correct size and length for the drive shaft. If in doubt consult the guard supplier. Remember to take into account the shaft’s vertical and lateral movement during work.

Avoid damage to PTO drive shaft and guards

When a machine is not in use, you should support the shaft and guard on the cradle provided. If there is no cradle, support the shaft and guard by other means to give protection against damage.

Do not rest PTO shafts and guards on drawbars and do not drop them on the ground. Make sure drawbar pins of trailed machines cannot foul and damage the shaft guard. The recommended height of pins above the drawbar is 20 mm.

Allow enough clearance between the guard and any parts of the tractor and machine to prevent the guard being fouled.

This is particularly important when working on sloping land.