WorkSafe issues mobile plant safety reminder

WorkSafe Issues Mobile Plant Safety Reminder

WorkSafe Victoria is reminding workers about the importance of safely operating powered mobile plant on farms.

The reminder was issued following the death of a 61-year-old farmer who was killed instantly when the large self-propelled auger he was using overturned.

Why Powered Mobile Plant Poses Serious Risk

"Powered mobile plant, including self-propelled augers, can overturn or collide," WorkSafe Victoria states in the reminder. "If there is a seat or operator platform, users can be ejected and suffer serious or fatal injuries."

This hazardous equipment demands careful attention whenever operating near uneven ground, slopes, or loading areas, since a single miscalculation can turn routine earthmoving and mobile plant tasks into fatal incidents.

Agriculture Fatality Statistics

WorkSafe data shows agriculture accounts for just 2% of Victoria's workforce, yet 14% of workplace fatalities occur in this sector.

• Around 75% of farm fatalities typically occur due to mobile plant and farm vehicles.
• Powered mobile plant remains among the most hazardous categories of equipment used across farming operations.
• Comparable risk factors exist in construction settings, where similar plant and vehicle-related fatalities occur.

How Employers Can Manage Risk

Safety regulators remind employers and farmers to assess and identify potential risks before operating mobile plant machinery, so overturning incidents can be prevented.

Effective control measures include:

• Conducting pre-operational risk assessments before operating equipment on sloped or uneven terrain.
• Training operators to recognise hazardous conditions and respond appropriately.
• Maintaining rollover protection structures and seatbelts on all powered mobile plant.
• Reviewing safe work method statements regularly to reflect current site conditions.

Employers across construction, agriculture, and manufacturing sectors should ensure documented procedures are in place before staff begin operating heavy machinery, since inconsistent controls significantly raise risk of overturning or collision.

Businesses managing fleets of loaders, augers, or attachments can also reference the mini loader SWMS template to strengthen site-specific control measures.

Read more here.