Tractors and Mobile Plant
Tractors and Mobile Plant safety
Tractors and their attachments are an essential part of dairy farming gear, but are still one of the major causes of fatalities and serious injury to all who live and work on farms. Operators, passengers, bystanders and children are all at risk.
Tractors of all sizes and ages are to be found on most dairy farms. As farms have become larger and handling of bulk materials has become necessary, specialist mobile machinery has become more common.
This type of plant includes, for example, industrial front end loaders and telehandlers.
As an employer or person conducting a business on the farm, you have a legal responsibility to ensure that everyone is safe on and around tractors and mobile plant.
Use the resources below to help prevent injury and ensure that you comply with this requirement. These include Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) templates for tractors and each type of mobile plant on your farm.
Work Health and Safety regulations require that you must assess and manage the risks to health and safety associated with use of any plant.
| Farm Safety Manual resources | |
| Farm Safety Manual – Tractors & Mobile Plant (full module) | |
| Safety self assessment | |
| Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) | |
| Register for Dairy Passport and access the latest SOP templates | Website |
| Further information | |
| Safe use of tractors and attachments (WorkSafe Victoria) | |
| Farmsafe guide on Tractors | site not available |
| Front end loaders and their attachments on tractors (WA and NSW Workcover) |
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| Post Drivers – Industry Safety Standards: a handbook for workplaces (WorkSafe Victoria) | |
| Slashers Guide (NSW Workcover & WorkSafe Victoria) | |
| Used agricultural plant at clearing sales (WorkSafe Victoria 2009) | |
| Telehandlers: design and licensing (WorkSafe Vic 2017) |
