California Code of Regulations
Title 8 - Industrial Relations
Division 1 - Department of Industrial Relations
Chapter 4 - Division of Industrial Safety
Subchapter 7 - General Industry Safety Orders
Group 3 - General Plant Equipment and Special Operations
Article 13 - Agricultural Operations
Section 3440 - Agricultural Equipment

Universal Citation: 8 CA Code of Regs 3440

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 38, September 20, 2024

(a) All tractors shall be equipped with fenders or equivalent protection between the tractor operator and the tracks or rear wheels. On wheel tractors a minimum distance of 64 inches from the centerline of one driving wheel to the centerline of the opposite wheel will be considered equivalent protection. See Article 25 for ROPS and overhead protection.

(b) Tractor brake-locking or parking device shall be of the positive type, designed and maintained in such a manner that tractor vibration will not release the device.

(1) All PTO shafts shall be guarded. If the guard can be used as a step it shall be capable of supporting a 250 pound person.

EXCEPTION: Where PTO driven equipment is of a design requiring removal of the PTO shaft guard, the driven equipment shall incorporate guarding of the PTO shaft.

(2) PTO drivelines shall be guarded.

(3) Signs, decals, etc., shall be placed at prominent locations on agricultural equipment specifying that power drive system guards shall be kept in place.

(d) Other Power Transmission Components.

(1) The mesh or nip-point of all power driven gears, belts, chains, sheaves, pulleys, sprockets, and idlers shall be guarded.

(2) All revolving shafts, including projections such as bolts, keys or set screws, shall be guarded, except smooth shaft ends protruding less than one-half the outside diameter of the shaft and its locking means.

(e) Ground driven components shall be guarded if any employee is exposed to those components while they are in motion.

(f) Access to Moving Parts.

(1) Guards, shields, and access doors shall be in place when the equipment is in operation.

(2) Where removal of a guard or access door will expose an employee to any component which continues to rotate after the power is disengaged, the employer shall provide, in the immediate area, the following:

(A) A readily visible or audible warning of rotation (on all agricultural equipment manufactured after June 1, 1977).

(B) A safety sign warning the employee to look and listen for evidence of rotation, and not to remove the guard or access door until all components have stopped.

(g) Functional components of agricultural equipment not specifically addressed in this article, such as snapping or husking rolls, straw spreaders, cutter bars, flail rotors, rotary beaters, mixing augers, feed rolls, rotary tillers, and similar units, which must be exposed for proper function, shall be guarded so as not to interfere with normal functioning of the component.

(h) Sweep arm material gathering mechanisms shall be guarded when used on the top surface of materials within silo structures. The lower or leading edge of the guard shall be located no more than 12 inches above the material surface and no less than six inches in front of the leading edge of the rotating member of the gathering mechanism.

1. Repealer and new section filed 5-13-77; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 77, No. 20).
2. Amendment of NOTE filed 5-15-85; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 85, No. 20).
3. New subsections (d)-(d)(2), subsection relettering, and amendment of newly designated subsection (g) filed 4-4-96; operative 5-4-96 (Register 96, No. 14).

Note: Authority cited: Section 142.3, Labor Code. Reference: Section 142.3, Labor Code.

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