Employee Is Killed When Caught By Rotating Parts Of Power Take Off

On January 8, 2021, an employee was power washing a turkey barn using a power washer attached to a power takeoff device (PTO) powered by a tractor. The employee had finished washing the barn and was likely winterizing the pump by adding antifreeze when the incident occurred.

In order to add antifreeze to the pump, the PTO shaft would have been running and the spray hose would have to be pulled in order to get the antifreeze to circulate in the pump.

The employee was found on his knees with his left arm wrapped around the shaft on the PTO device, which was located between the tractor and the power washing equipment. The employee was likely caught by the unguarded rotating parts of the PTO device, which killed him.

Source:  https://www.osha.gov