A Proposed SAE Standard for Access Systems on Off-Road Machinery for Agricultural and Other Workers with Disabilities

It has been demonstrated that farmers, ranchers, and agricultural workers have been able to remain productive following a disabling injury or disease through use of appropriate applications of assistive or rehabilitation technology. To help address the need for sound technical information in this area, Purdue University’s Breaking New Ground (BNG) Resource Center has taken a leadership role in developing and documenting modifications for off-highway agricultural equipment. Very little of the design criteria that could be considered by manufacturers in the fabrication and installation of these devices has been documented or adopted by standards organizations, such as the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) or the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE). Also, many of the small manufacturers who do fabricate and install these devices typically have neither the appropriate staff nor the resources to conduct adequate engineering assessments or hazard analyses of their products. Therefore, there is a need for establishment of standards regarding access systems on off-road machines for agricultural and other workers with limited mobility. Even though some standards exist for other forms of access systems, they do not directly state or imply that they should be used for individuals with limited mobility when accessing off-road machinery. The draft standard proposed here summarizes all relevant points of the existing related standards into one document that can be used by access system fabricators and prescribers. This proposed standard should be reviewed and considered for adoption by the Adaptive Standards Committee of the Society of Automotive Engineers.