Contact with machinery

Over the past year, six people have been killed after they came into contact with unguarded machinery or had attempted to clear blockages or work on machinery that was still operating.

• Contractor loses arm on an unguarded PTO shaft
  His clothing and high visibility tabard were caught on an exposed section of the rotating PTO shaft
• Unguarded conveyor and supervision of a young person
  a 17 year old youth sustained severe bruising when he became entangled on an unguarded conveyor belt
• Unguarded Power Take Off (PTO) shaft on a potato digger
  PTO shaft powering digger was completely unguarded as was the rear belt and pulley drive
• Isolation of machines
  a farm employee broke his wrist and sustained friction burns when his arm became trapped in a belt conveyor
• Unguarded Power Take Off (PTO) shafts
  a 13 year old boy became entangled on an unguarded PTO shaft.
• Guard interlocking
  an employee severed his arm in a rotary valve to which access had been gained through a hatch.
• Clearing blockages
  a 19 year old employee was injured while clearing a blockage in a stationary harvester.
• Unguarded power input connector
  a 16 year old labourer became entangled on the drive shaft of tractor/slurry tank.
• Check equipment before use
  A retired casual worker was injured when his arm was drawn into a potato harvester.
• Lack of training and risk assessment leads to two deaths
  Two farm workers were killed when they became entangled on a tractor- mounted rope winding machine.