Issue Date:  -  Wednesday, 3 August 2005

National farm equipment safety checks underway soon

Workplace safety and health authorities across Australia have launched a coordinated campaign to focus on the safety of farm machinery and equipment being sold to the farming community.

The campaign – jointly launched around the country this week – aims to ensure plant and other equipment meets workplace safety and health standards, and seminars will be held in regional areas to explain the project.

The campaign targets manufacturers, suppliers, importers and retailers of new and second-hand plant and equipment supplied to the agricultural sector.

It focuses on four specific types of plant:

• Tractors 
• Tractor implements;
• Grain augers; and
• All-terrain vehicle (ATV) attachments.

Future campaigns will look at other types of plant.

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Nina Lyhne said today that manufacturers, suppliers and retailers all shared some responsibility for ensuring that farm machinery was safe.

“In Western Australia, WorkSafe inspectors will be looking at a wide range of situations including importers and machinery auctions, in fact any situation in which machinery changes hands,” Ms Lyhne said.

“The inspectors involved are receiving excellent cooperation from agencies such as the Tractor and Machinery Association, Motor Trades Association, Farm Machinery Dealers Association, the WA Farmers Federation and Pastoralists and Graziers Association.

“Our objective is to work together with the industry to achieve safety improvements.

“Agriculture has the second highest number of injuries of all industries in WA – second only to manufacturing.

“With around 900 workers each year injured badly enough to warrant time off work and many of these injuries involving farm machinery, there is definitely room for improvement.

“Under occupational safety and health laws, suppliers of plant and machinery have clear responsibilities in relation to safety.”

Information seminars will be held in all States during August to inform the industry of their legal obligations in relation to safety and the actions they should take to ensure they meet those obligations.

In WA, seminars will take place in Narrogin on August 9, Esperance on August 11, Wongan Hills on August 16 and Geraldton on August 18.  Those wishing to attend should telephone WorkSafe’s Bunbury office on 97222888.

WorkSafe inspectors will visit manufacturers, suppliers, importers and retailers of plant supplied to the agriculture industry across the State from September to December to verify the level of compliance with legislative obligations.

“This type of national proactive campaign is crucial in preventing potential injuries and deaths, and I encourage anyone involved in the supply chain for farm machinery to contact the Bunbury office and register to attend a seminar,” Ms Lyhne said.

“The campaign is aimed at protecting the end user of the machinery by ensuring that all parties involved in supplying the machinery take their safety and health responsibilities seriously.”

Further information on machinery safety can be obtained by telephoning WorkSafe on 9327 8777 or on the website at www.safetyline.wa.gov.au.