2013 LOGAN COUNTY FARM OUTLOOK MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com October 25, 2013 Page 21
In the mid-1970s and early 1980s,
all manufacturing in the U.S.,
including the family farm, started
learning about decibels. The
decibel is a unit of measurement
related to sound. It was
determined that enduring noise
with a high decibel level caused
long-term damage to hearing.
In the farming industry, virtually
everything makes noise, from
the engines of the tractors, to the
working parts of the combine’s
reaper system, to grain augers,
grain dryers and more. Bottom
line, the noise level on the
farm can spike the decibels
and ultimately cause damage
to the internal workings of the
ear, causing varying degrees of
hearing loss.
Inside a sound-dampening cab,
the decibels drop considerably,
making for an environment that is
not only healthier but also more
pleasant for the operator.
Air conditioning and heat may
also seem like comfort measures
for the farmer, and in a lot of
ways they are, but they are also
safety nets against environmental
hazards.
Open tractors left farmers of
the past generation exposed to
many hazards. They breathed in
dust from the fields, which was
sometimes populated with molds
and fungi that would settle in the
lungs and cause illness.
In addition, the driver’s seat was
usually located directly in line
with the tractor’s exhaust system,
leaving the driver sucking in
at least a part of those noxious
fumes.
Farmers were also exposed to
sun, which we now know is a
leading cause of melanoma skin
cancer. And, fine particles floating
through the air caused eye
irritation and fatigue.
Cabs today keep the outside
environment outside and leave
the operator breathing cleaner air.
In addition, operating equipment
at a comfortable air temperature
inside the cab leaves the farmer
more rested and more capable of
working safely for longer periods
of time.
While the tractor and combine
cabs may look like luxury, they
do indeed offer many components
that make farming a safer
occupation.
