Person fatally crushed while assisting with attaching a hay rake to a tractor

Background

A tractor operator was attempting to attach a hay rake to the drawbar of a tractor with the assistance of 2 people on the ground. One of the people assisting was crushed between the hay rake and the tractor when the tractor unexpectedly reversed.

Agriculture makes up only 2% of Victoria’s workforce, but regularly accounts for about 10% of workplace deaths. About 50% of these deaths have involved farm vehicles over the last 5 years.

Safety issues

Hazardous areas

Hazardous areas exist around tractors. Blind spots can limit visibility, while noise can make communicating difficult. The area between the tractor and the implement (figure 1) is a hazardous area. A person standing in the hazardous area is at risk of being crushed as the tractor may unexpectedly reverse.

Recommended ways to control risks

Identify hazardous areas

Tractor operators are responsible for identifying hazardous areas and managing associated risks around the tractor.

Tractor operators must create an exclusion zone for anyone in the operating area of the tractor, and ensure there are no people in the hazardous areas while the tractor is running.

Plan your work

Ensure the implement is safely supported on level ground.

If a second person is required to assist the tractor operator, ensure;

• a clear communication process is established before the tractor is put in gear
• the person is positioned out of the travel path of the tractor
• the person can be seen by the driver at all times.

At the time of attaching an implement, the tractor should be parked, out of gear and the handbrake applied before any person enters the hazardous area.

Legal duties

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act), employers have duties which they must fulfil so far as is reasonably practicable. Their duties include the following:

• providing and maintaining a working environment that is safe and without risks to health
• providing and maintaining plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health
• maintaining a workplace under their management or control in a condition that is safe and without risks to health
• providing employees and independent contractors with information, instruction, training or supervision as is necessary for them to perform work safely and without risks to health
• ensuring people who are not employees are not exposed to risks to their health and safety arising from the employer's conduct.

Self-employed persons must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons are not exposed to risks to their health or safety arising from the conduct of their undertaking.

Employers and self-employed people must also, so far as is reasonably practicable:

• identify all hazards associated with the use of plant at the workplace
• control risks associated with plant according to the plant hierarchy of control
• ensure the plant is inspected to the extent necessary to ensure that risks associated with its use are monitored
• ensure plant that is not in use is left in a state that does not create a risk for any person.