Farmer dies after being struck by tractor north of Perth

A farmer has died after being struck by a tractor in Western Australia on Tuesday evening.

The 89-year-old man was reportedly unloading hay from the tractor when the vehicle slipped into gear, rolled and struck him, WorkSafe said on Thursday.

The incident happened at Berkshire Valley, about 200km north of Perth.  WorkSafe is investigating the incident.

"This is the ninth death in agriculture workplaces in the past year, and that figure is not acceptable," WorkSafe WA Commissioner Darren Kavanagh said.

"I'm particularly concerned about farmers in the over-60 age group, as six of the nine agriculture workers who have lost their lives over the past year have been in this age group.

"Agriculture is frequently represented in the top three industries for workplace deaths, and there's an increasing need to give greater priority to safety and health. 

"I have called upon the agriculture industry leaders to increase efforts to change these tragic circumstances in this industry."

Originally published in Perth now.