 A wealth of important information about your tractor and its safe operation is available in the Operator's Manual. Read it over and over until you fully understand it. If there's something you don't understand, ask your supervisor. Also read the safety manuals, operating rules and literature put out by the Department of Labor and Industries. At the start of every shift and before you start the engine, check all the fluid levels. Check also the steering, brakes, lights, wheel lug nuts and the tire pressure. And look for anything that is broken. If any levels are low, add additional fluid. If something is broken, fix it now. At this time also check for leaks, especially with the hydraulic lines and connectors. If the hydraulic lines are pressurized, don't use your hands or a rag. Use a card or cardboard. Hot oil and hydraulic fluids can burn. If there's even a small pinhole in the hydraulic lines, the oil coming out of the tiny hole will be under such pressure that it will be able to penetrate your skin and may cause a serious injury. If that happens, you'll need immediate medical attention. Every tractor should have a rops and a seat belt. This is a rops or rollover protective structure. The state of Washington requires all tractors driven by employees to have a rops with a seat belt in good working order and to wear it. There are exceptions. If your tractor does not have a rops, don't wear a seat belt. Even older tractors must be so equipped if rops was an optional accessory when it was sold or the tractor was designed to accommodate a rops. Again, there are some exceptions. More on this later. Make sure the safety and warning signs are readable and in place. Now that the tractor is ready to go, let's look at the operator. Your clothes should fit well. No loose dangling clothes or jewelry. If it is hot out, your clothes should be lightweight. If it is cold, layer your clothes. You should wear work boots with good traction soles and a heel. Tennis shoes with no heel are not good and are prohibited. Every year, almost 900 agricultural workers sustained eye injuries. Especially those driving tractors in fruit orchards with their low hanging branches. Always wear approved safety glasses. Look for this American National Standards Institute or ANSI Z87.1 stamp. An eye injury can be painful, disfiguring and lead to partial or total bluntness. Sitting in your driver's seat and buckled in is the only way to safely start the tractor. Standing on the ground beside the tractor while trying to start it or when it is being started is not a safe thing to do. Do not bypass the safety start switches. Leave the safety shield in place covering the starter motor. Put the transmission in neutral and start your engine according to your operator's manual. Never start up or idle a tractor in an enclosed building. Gas, diesel and propane all produce deadly carbon monoxide which is odorless, colorless and extremely deadly. Make sure there is plenty of ventilation before starting the tractor. Let's review what we need to do before starting to work with the tractor. Study and understand the operator's manuals for your tractor. Check the fluid levels at the start of your shift. Make sure your tractor is equipped with a rops and a seat belt, both in working condition. Make sure the safety and warning signs are readable and in place. Wear the right clothes and eye protection. Do not stand beside your tractor while trying to start the engine. Stay on the seat. Don't start the engine in an enclosed building. Make sure there is adequate ventilation before starting the tractor inside a building.