The safety alert reported that potential causes for the incident included possible wear and tear on the park gear from when operators “throw the tractor into park - rather than coming to a complete stop first”.
The alert said a further factor could be not using backup methods, such as lowering the front forks/hydraulics to the ground before getting out of the cab
“While emergency brakes can also be engaged in conjunction with the Transmission Park Gate, this can cause issues as operators can drive off with the brake on and strain the brake function.”
The alert recommended operators should only engage park once the tractor had fully stopped and that both he park lock and park brake should be applied when parked or operating from a static position.
Operators should also “double-check for movement or instability - even when the park gear/brake is engaged - before leaving the cab”.
“Use a backup method, even if the ground seems relatively flat.”
The alert also underlined the importance of managers providing thorough operator assessment and training.
This meant raising awareness about overloading, including checking the size and weight of loads, ensuring operators knew how to counterbalance the tractor effectively and removing hunger boards from wagons.
More about Safer Farm safety alerts
Safer Farms brings together farmers and senior leaders from across the agribusiness to highlight the sector-wide Farm Without Harm strategy.
Lindy Nelson, chair of Safer Farms and a Farm Without Harm ambassador, said the safety alerts were based on real-life documented incidents and provided important lessons for farmers.
“Safety alerts are about us sharing and learning from one another.”
Nelson said it was a new approach to reducing harm.
“We’re encouraging farmers to discuss the safety alerts with their teams and ask if these incidents could happen on their farm.
“It’s also a good idea to look at what farmers have in place to prevent such an incident happening.”
To view the safety alerts, please visit www.farmwithoutharm.org.nz/safety-alerts.