Roll Over Protective Structure

Roll Over Protective Structure (ROPS) are structural components attached to vehicles and are designed to protect the operator if the vehicle overturns during operation; they can either be enclosed in a tractor cab or unenclosed (resembling one or more exposed rollover bars). Safety restraints should be used in conjunction with ROPS to confine the operator within the space protected by the ROPS. Roll Over Protective Structures first became available as optional equipment on farm tractors in 1971; tractors manufactured before 1971 generally were not designed to accommodate the addition of ROPS. In 1976, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) required employers to provide Roll Over Protective Structure and safety belts for all employee-operated tractors manufactured after October 25, 1976. ** Since 1985, as a result of voluntary agreements by tractor manufacturers, virtually all new tractors sold in the United States have been equipped with ROPS and safety belts.

Roll Over Protective Structures are engineered to mount on specific tractor models and designed to operate with the tractors mounting brackets and frame. This provides a structure that is flexible, yet rigid enough to withstand the loads produced during a tractor overturn. Prototype ROPS must pass engineered, crush, static, and dynamic tests to assure adequate performance before they are produced for the public. These prototype ROPS must meet the standards set by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) (SAE J167, J2194), and the American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE) (ASAE-S383.1). Excerpts from www.nasdonline.org/docs and www.cdc.gov/mmwr