Issue Date: -
Friday, 2 February 2007
National campaign on farm machinery leads to improvements
A nation-wide program to inspect farm machinery has revealed problems with used machinery, but has led to an overall increase in compliance with occupational safety and health laws.
The Agricultural Plant Designer, Manufacturer, Supplier and Importer Program was conducted across the six States and was completed in February 2006.
The program involved collaboration between all six States to develop uniform materials and checklists for inspections, with more than 50 seminars held across the nation to advise the industry of the program prior to the inspectors’ visits.
A total of 672 workplace visits took place, with more than 100 inspectors using a common inspection checklist to inspect 2502 pieces of farm machinery held by more than 500 suppliers, 114 manufacturers, 47 designers, 16 importers, one auctioneer and one wrecker.
The program focused on four specific types of farm machinery – tractors, tractor attachments, grain augers and attachments for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).
The program found that the percentages of machines compliant with safety legislation ranged from 100 per cent for new ATV attachments to a low 51 per cent for used augers.
WorkSafe WA Commissioner Nina Lyhne believes the program has already led to important improvements in compliance with farm machinery safety standards.
“This program – as with others of this type – really focused on informing those in the agricultural sector about their rights and responsibilities regarding the safety of farm machinery,” Ms Lyhne said.
“It involved designers, manufacturers, suppliers and importers, informing them about the required safety standards to ensure that farmers purchase machinery that is safe to use.
“It did reveal a lower level of compliance with safety standards for some items of farm machinery than we would like to see, but compliance has already significantly improved since the program was implemented.
“One of the concrete results of the inspection campaign is that the Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia, in conjunction with a number of manufacturers and dealers, is now working on the development of a national Industry Safety Standard for Grain Augers.
“The development of the Standard was prompted by the low level of safety compliance for used augers that was revealed by this inspection program.
“In addition, the program was an excellent example of cooperation between the States, and another important means of ensuring national consistency in workplace safety and health, particularly in the agriculture industry.”
The program resulted in four recommendations, all of which will be followed up by work safety authorities.
“The recommendations resulting from the program will make a significant contribution toward ensuring that farmers are better off in the future, more secure in the knowledge that the machinery they are buying complies with safety standards,” Ms Lyhne said.
Further information on agricultural machinery safety can be obtained by telephoning WorkSafe on 9327 8777. Copies of the report are available from WorkSafe on request.
Media contact: Caroline De Vaney 9327 8744 or 0408 927563 (media enquiries only).