Farmer Crushed To Death
Under Skid Loader Bucket

In 1997 an Iowa farmer was killed while using his skid steer loader to remove rocks and bushes from a fenceline. The farmer had attached a chain from the bucket to a shrub, and after partially pulling up the shrub, he apparently leaned forward out of the loader to remove or adjust the chain. He may have slipped or inadvertently stepped on the right foot pedal, which immediately lowered the lift arms and the bucket, pinning him to the frame of the machine. Another possibility is that the chain slipped or the shrub gave way causing the loader to snap back, throwing the man out of his seat.

The machine’s steering was controlled by hand levers to the (L) and (R) of the seat, while (L) and (R) foot pedals controlled bucket tilt and the height of the lift arms. A seat-actuated electro-hydraulic interlock had been installed, which would normally prevent hydraulic movement if the operator wasn’t in his seat. This had been bypassed, creating a dangerous situation if anyone was under the raised bucket. A family member observed that the machine was having jerky movements a few weeks prior to the injury, but the machine was still functional, and was never repaired. The hydraulic fluid level was checked and found normal. The 1972 machine had been used at this dairy farm for 11 years, for all types of routine chores.

#1 Owners of skid-steer loaders should not disable or alter factory-installed / retrofitted safety features.

The seat-actuated hydraulic interlock had been bypassed, apparently to make work more convenient, however at the cost of safety. An effective safety interlock would have saved this farmer’s life!


#2 Operators of skid-steer loaders should be educated regarding safe use of their machines.

To safely remove shrubs, farmers should consider having a co-worker help with chain attachments, or using a backhoe or other machine which is better designed to pull or dig shrubs out of the ground.


Under no circumstances should the operator walk, step, or lean under a raised bucket, unless the machine is turned off and the mechanical lift arm stops, or stout bracing, are used.


#3 Machine operators must keep their equipment in proper working order to ensure its safety.

Jerky movement of the hydraulics may have contributed to this fatality.