As silage season approaches, WorkSafe is issuing a reminder about the importance of ensuring farm machinery is correctly maintained and the importance of training when acquiring new or second-hand powered mobile plant.
WorkSafe says in-line silage wrappers have many hazards and risks.
These include, but are not limited, to:
- Rotating and moving components that can strike and entangle employees.
- Hydraulic presses that can cause crush injuries.
- Application of plastic film, which can crush or cause suffocation.
Contributing factors involved in unsafe operations of farm machinery leading to serious injury or death include: lack of maintenance; bypassing safety mechanisms; lack of training; lack of pre-start checks and documentation; and working alone.
Ways to control risks
Plant with moving parts, such as in-line silage wrappers, must have appropriate risk controls to eliminate or reduce the risk to employees.
- Guarding: Ensure physical guards are installed and maintained to prevent employees from accessing the moving parts.
- Interlocks: Where guards are required to be opened to provide access for setting up, troubleshooting or maintenance, interlocks or safety switches should be installed to ensure the plant is shut down prior to employees accessing the hazardous area.
- Hold to run controls: To ensure a safe distance between the worker and the hazardous area, operator controls should be positioned away from moving parts and should only function while the operator holds them in the run position.
- Pre-start inspections: A safe system of work must be provided to ensure the plant is in a condition to be used safely. This may include implementing a pre-start inspection based on the operator’s manual, to identify any issues that need to be fixed before operating the plant. It is recommended that pre-start records are kept.
- Maintenance: Plant must be maintained to ensure safety systems including interlocks and safety switches are correctly operating. It is recommended that a record of maintenance is maintained.
- Information: Employees must be provided appropriate information about the hazards and risks associated with the plant.
- Instructions: Employees must be provided appropriate instructions about how to safely operate the plant.
- Training: Employees must be provided appropriate training to ensure they know how to operate the plant.
- Supervision: When employees are learning how to use new plant, they must to be appropriately supervised.
- Reference to operator’s manual: Always consult the manufacturer's operator manual for specific safety guidelines and operational procedures.
- Consult with employees: Involving your employees and any health and safety representatives in health and safety issues can result in a safer workplace.
WorkSafe says suppliers of new and second-hand plant must:
- Ensure the plant is safe and without risk to health, so far as is reasonably practicable.
- Give adequate information to the purchaser about: the purpose or purposes for which the plant is to be used; any conditions necessary to ensure that the plant is safe and without risks to health. This may be in the form of an operator’s manual and include demonstrations, training and videos of how to safely operate the plant.
Suppliers should ensure that risk controls are installed and correctly operating prior to selling new or second-hand plant.
Employers, employees and suppliers should review their current practices, assess risks and implement safety measures to prevent accidents using silage wrappers.
For further information, go to: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/farm-machinery
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