What Happened?
A contractor operating his digger on an East Coast farm was trapped inside his digger after it slid down a bank.
Why did it happen?
- A digger contractor was operating alone on farm on a weekend. As he moved along a track the bank gave way and the digger slid down a gully.
- The operator got out and alerted his company, but then went back into the cab to fetch personal kit.
- The digger became unbalanced, slipped and tipped.
- The operator was trapped, broke a femur and cracked a vertebra.
- Fire and Emergency were required to rescue the operator.
Key lessons
Contract Management
- The contractor had been inducted on farm but the operator had not. Ensure all members of a contractor's crew know what the risks are on farm, where to go and not go, and what to do in an emergency.
- The operator had been working on the Friday but farm staff were unaware he was back on site on the Saturday. Ensure all contractors check in and out, and discuss when they expect to be on and off the property.
For Operators
- Always carry your PLB on your body, not in the glovebox or seat next to you. Make sure you can reach it and use it at all times.
- The unstable vehicle wasn't safe to re-enter. When in doubt, don't mount or re-enter an unstable platform.
A note on diggers
- Traction: the digger tracks were triple grouser design. This type of track doesn't rip up the surface, but has less grip. A single grouser, or bolt-on cleats, would be safer on this type of terrain and offer a big improvement in traction.
- Lesson: have a conversation with contractors about how they could improve traction on farm.
- Tractor size: at 2.5m wide, this type of digger had very little margin for error.
- Lesson: when discussing operations with operators, talk about where the narrow farm tracks are and whether the digger is suitable to operate in these areas.
