A Southland schoolgirl's simple farm safety idea has earned her provincial and national recognition.
Maria Burnett lives on a farm and was keen to focus on farm safety, but could not think of an interesting project for this year's Southland Science and Technology Fair until she talked to her dairy farmer dad, Graeme.
His suggestion was for an improved safety cover for the power take off shafts (PTOs) used to transmit power from tractors to farm implements.
Her concept - a U-shaped guard with two microswitches which instantly turn off the PTO when the guard is touched - won top honours at the Southland fair and gained Maria one of 16 places at the national Genesis Energy Realise the Dream event in Wellington. She received the Royal Society of New Zealand's Peter Spratt Memorial Award and $3000.
PTOs can spin at up to 1000rpm and tractor operator can easily get entangled in them, often leading to severe injuries or even death.
During her research, Maria interviewed a Southland farmer who was caught in a PTO.
''He leant over the shaft and the little edge of an old muttoncloth in his shirt pocket got caught in the shaft and pulled his whole body in.
''He ended up making a full recovery but was in hospital for more than a week. A big chunk of his leg muscle is missing now and he still doesn't have feeling in his hand.''
She was also told of a man on the West Coast who, as well as being injured, was stripped of all his clothes apart from a gumboot and sock.
''The shaft spins you around, hits you a few times and chops you up.''
Tractors already have a master shield at each end of the PTO. Maria said they had an emergency stop button but it was above the tractor's rear wheel.
''If you are stuck on the shaft, you don't have a hope of hitting it.''
Her invention means the tractor operator only has to touch the sides or top of the guard to stop the PTO rotating.
There are different sized PTOs used for various farm implements and Maria has designed a one-size guard to fit any tractor and shaft.
Many people had asked her why tractors weren't already equipped with a device such as hers, she said.
''I'm actually quite amazed myself. It really is quite a simple idea and you would think it would have been invented already.''
Maria hopes her concept has commercial possibilities.
''I have spoken to people who are genuinely excited about it, but no-one has offered specific help yet with manufacturing it.''
Maria, who will be in Year 13 next year, plans to put her prize money towards a school science trip to Melbourne next year which includes a flight over the Antarctic. She intends to study science at university.
''Before I went to Wellington I was very definite it was going to be health science, potentially going into medicine. But I think the trip has really opened up everyone's eyes. They have shown us there is more to science than the typical jobs you hear of.''
Maria was one of three James Hargest College pupils selected for Realise the Dream. The others were twins David and Emily Jagouz (15). David's project was a electronic, wrist-worn device which vibrates to alert deaf people to noises such as doorbells and smoke alarms, while Emily designed a device allowing people to practise mountain-side crevasse rescues at home.
They were the only pupils selected from south of Christchurch.
