Timely Reminder For On-farm Safety

At Hutcheon & Pearce, we put safety first.

So, when we hear about accidents happening on Australian farms, we issue safety reminders to both our customers and staff.

Sadly, one such incident occurred in March 2019, when a worker on a rural property was fatally crushed by the wheels of a planting machine that was being towed by a tractor.

As our WH&S Manager Peter Goodsell explained, the worker was operating the tractor and got off while it was moving forward.

“The operator got out of the tractor cab while it was still creeping along in very low gear. In doing so, he became trapped under the wheel of the planting machine.

“While farm accidents involving tractors are very common, deaths are not so common. It’s a timely reminder to us all that safety needs to be a priority as accidents can easily happen.”

Peter emphasised the need for all operators to be trained in the safe use of their equipment.

“Everybody must be trained in the safe use of any piece of plant, no matter whether it’s a tractor, a harvester, mower or whatever. The health and safety laws say that if you introduce new equipment into your workplace, you have to be trained on how to safely use it and if you have any staff who use that machine, they must be trained in the correct and safe procedures of its operation.

“Machinery suppliers should provide safe instructions when the machine is delivered to the farmer. The farmer then should accept and acknowledge that he’s been trained in its correct procedures. And if he employs anyone, he must provide the correct training.

“At the same time, operators have a responsibility to operate their machine in a safe manner, so the operator has got as much responsibility for safety as the owner.”

As a matter of procedure, Hutcheon & Pearce offers safe operations training when machines are delivered on-farm. In addition to this training, Peter recommends owners conduct regular risk assessments.

“If you are following the letter of the law and have employees, you must do a risk assessment on every facet of your business. As the situation changes from day-to-day on farms, and there may be different hazards in each field, you should be doing a risk assessment before you start each operation.

“This applies to our workplace at Hutcheon & Pearce as well. When our guys go out to do a job, they do a risk assessment before they start, especially on-farm because farms are not our regular place of employment and you don’t know what hazards may be present.

“We ask all our guys to do what we call a Take Five Risk Assessment before they start, which is just five minutes to answer a few questions, have a look about and identify any hazards. This may be overhead power lines or a hole in the paddock they’re driving through. It’s not always easy to find but at least it gives our staff something to think about before they dive in.

“At the end of the day, we want to see our team and all our customers get home safely.

“We encourage everyone to use this sad incident as a reminder that we all need to think about safety. Don’t assume that because you’re doing the job all the time that something won’t happen. You just never know.”

INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IF SPACE PERMITS:

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland recommends that tractor operators should:

• only climb on or off a tractor that is stopped. Do not dismount from a tractor while the engine is running unless the transmission is in the neutral, or park position and the parking brake is effectively engaged
• read and follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions and be trained in the tractor’s safe operating procedures
• drive tractors at speeds slow enough to keep control over unexpected hazards
• be cautious in wet conditions
• reduce speed before turning or applying turning brakes
• descend slopes cautiously with the tractor in low gear. Extra care needs to be taken if towing trailers or implements down slopes, as often the trailers will not have brakes
• when an attachment becomes blocked, the tractor should be stopped, the drive to the attachment disconnected and the moving parts of the implement stopped before the obstruction is cleared
• exercise extreme caution when operating a tractor or any attached equipment around children or animals
• if a job requires frequent mounting/dismounting, consider using another piece of equipment such as a motorbike or small utility vehicle.

BREAKOUT BOX 

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that the NSW Government is trialling a new Digital Driver Licence ahead of the statewide roll-out later in 2019?

The Digital Driver Licence is the electronic version of the NSW Driver Licence. It is presently being trialled in selected suburbs in Sydney’s Eastern Beaches and the greater Dubbo area.

You can read more about the new trial here: www.service.nsw.gov.au/campaign/digital-driver-licence