Council Corner: Standards Awareness
As product engineers design new equipment and review existing designs, among their many considerations is safety. For guidance on safety standards, they seek information from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), an educational and scientific organization dedicated to the advancement of engineering applicable to agricultural systems.
This Association established the Standards Awareness Council to work in partnership with the ASABE to assure member companies are aware of developments in safety standards and contribute to conversations about standards being developed.
A recent example includes a braking standard for agricultural equipment. The initial draft of the standard did not consider the distinct uses of shortline equipment. The Standards Awareness Council educated members on what would be required of them and facilitated the process of offering feedback on the standard to ASABE.
“Through this council’s effort and the voices of many members who submitted comments,” chairman John Fisher said, “the standard has changed in a way that is far more inclusive of the equipment our members make.”
The Standards Awareness Council will meet from 2 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, during the Marketing & Distribution Convention at the Hilton Minneapolis.
It will discuss:
- ASABE X583.2, Safety for Agricultural Front End Loaders
- ASABE X619.1, Safety for Tractor-Mounted Boom-Type Post Hole Diggers
- ASABE X620.1, Safety for Anhydrous Ammonia Application Equipment
- ASABE X317.1, Improving Safety on Enclosed Mobile Tanks for Transporting and Spreading Agricultural Liquids and Slurry
- Proposed ISO/ASABE project being discussed for grain cart capacity and unloading rate test
ASABE standards developed by Association members include:
- S591, Trip Force
- S619, PHD Safety
- S620, NH3 Safety
- S625, Drawbar Pin
- S639, Large Row Crop Flail mowers
The Standards Awareness Council is among about a dozen committees and councils which support the industry and the Association. If you would like to learn more about the work of councils and committees, contact Vernon Schmidt at (314) 878-2304, or send an email to Vernon@FarmEquip.org.