Tractor Safety Week: Safety for older and younger persons

HSA figures tell us that over 90% of childhood deaths on farms had a farm vehicle or a machine involved. As part of Tractor Safety Week, Teagasc Health and Safety Specialist, Francis Bligh focuses on tractor safety for older and younger persons.

Children under seven are not legally permitted to travel on a tractor. Children 7 years old can travel in the cab of a tractor or other farm machinery if a passenger seat and seat belt is provided. Contractors should be made aware of the possible presence of children at houses or near schools. Tractors and farm vehicles and machinery that is not in use are also high risk due to sharp edges, machine parts moving and the possibility of falls from the machine. Children and older farmers should wear high visibility clothing to help drivers see them.

Tips:

• Don’t give children the habit of ‘getting spins’ on tractors and other farm vehicles.
• Lower all equipment to the ground.
• Remove keys.
• Lock vehicles.
• Supervise children.

Young person driving farm vehicles

Children under 14 years old should not operate tractors or self-propelled machines. Health and Safety Authority guidance on persons over 14 driving tractors on farm is as follows:

• A child or young person aged 14 or over should only be permitted to drive a tractor or self-propelled machine on the farm, if:

• • They have attended a formal training course run by a competent training provider.
  • They are closely supervised by a responsible adult.
  • They have the ability to operate the controls with ease.
  • All the controls are conveniently accessible for safe operation by the operator when seated in the driver’s seat.
  • The controls which operate the power take off (PTO) devices, hydraulic devices and engine cut-off are clearly marked to show the effect of their operation.
  • The tractor is maintained so that it is safe for them to operate.
  • The ground over which the tractor is driven is free from hazards such as steep slopes or excavations, river banks, lake or pond edges, deep ditches and similar areas.

Remember, before asking a young person over 14 to carry out a task with a farm vehicle you must carry out a risk assessment of the task and decide if the young person has the training, skills and competence to carry out the task safely.

Young persons over 16

Currently 16 year olds are legally allowed to drive farm vehicles on the road when they have a provisional learner permit. It is important that farmers and contractors actively risk assess each task to ensure the young person has the training, skills competence and experience to carry out the task safely. The driver of modern farm vehicles must constantly make decisions about other road users:

• The size of the machine.
• Travelling speed.
• Road conditions.
• Weight of load to safely mange the machine.

Safety tips:

• Provide training, supervision and instruction for machine operators.
• Match the tasks to the capacity of machine operators.
• Encourage drivers to operate the machine at an appropriate speed, taking conditions and road type into consideration.
• Praise drivers for active risk assessment during tasks.
• Encourage machine operators to actively identify items that require maintenance.
• Ban the use of mobile phones when operating machinery.

To learn more about the safety of younger person on farm, watch the video below:

Older persons

When working around tractors and machinery, it is important to be especially careful to stay well clear of the tractor and only approach when you are sure that the driver can see you. Moving out of the way of a moving tractor can be difficult because they can travel very fast. Beware of operator’s blind spots. In noisy environments, it can also be hard to hear tractors approaching.

Safety tips:

• Beware of moving tractors. When sound levels are high, it can be hard to hear a tractor approaching.
• Always take time to get the attention of the driver before approaching a tractor.
• Avoid manual handling injury. Seek help when attaching heavy items like PTO shafts.
• Get adequate sleep and rest. Fatigue can increase the likelihood of an injury happening.
• As we age, we must make think about each task and make honest decisions about our ability to carry them out safely. Deciding to get a contractor or seeking help can sometimes be the correct decision.
• Always carry a charged mobile phone on your person and let someone know exactly where you are going and when you expect to return.

To learn more, watch the video below:

Additional resources

The HSA have produced free online courses on the topic of safe farming that young adults and farmers would find very informative. Find out more on the HSA website

Get Guidance on the safe use of tractors and machinery on farms.pdf on the HSA website

More from Teagasc Daily: Tractor Safety Week: The importance of safe tractor operation

More from Teagasc Daily: Tractor Safety Week: Maintenance and tidy tractors

More from Teagasc Daily: Tractor Safety Week: Take care with blind spots

Tractor Safety Week is an initiative of the Farm Safety Partnership Committee. For more information on Tractor Safety Week, visit here.