Tractor & Agricultural Machinery Operations SWMS

Tractor and agricultural machinery operations underpin Australian broadacre and mixed enterprise farming, but they remain the leading cause of on-farm fatalities, accounting for the majority of rollover, runover and entanglement deaths reported to Safe Work Australia each year. This SWMS covers tractor pre-start inspection, PTO-driven implement coupling, slashing, ripping, baling and operation across variable terrain including slopes, dam embankments and creek crossings. Under WHS Regulation 2025 r291, a Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory because the work constitutes High Risk Construction Work where powered mobile plant operates near workers and where there is risk of falling more than two metres on sloped ground or into excavations. The SWMS is further triggered by the use of plant capable of causing crush, entanglement and rollover injuries under r203–r215. PCBUs operating agricultural undertakings owe a primary duty of care under s19 of the WHS Act to eliminate or minimise these risks so far as is reasonably practicable, and a documented, consulted SWMS is the principal evidence of that discharge.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.

1. 1Elimination — Eliminate slope work above 15 degrees by re-planning paddock layouts, using fixed spray rigs, or contracting aerial application for inaccessible terrain.
2. 2Elimination — Remove bystanders entirely from hitching zones by enforcing single-operator coupling protocols and locking out all foot traffic during reversing manoeuvres.
3. 3Substitution — Substitute conventional driveline implements with hydraulically-driven attachments to remove PTO entanglement risk where mechanically and economically feasible.
4. 4Substitution — Replace older pre-1981 tractors lacking certified ROPS with modern cab-equipped units compliant with AS 1636 and AS 1638 rollover protection structures.
5. 5Engineering — Fit and maintain ROPS or FOPS conforming to AS 1636, ensure integral seatbelt operability, and install rear-view cameras plus reversing alarms on all units above 30 kW.
6. 6Engineering — Install full-length PTO master shields, integral u-joint guards and implement input connection (IIC) shields per AS/NZS 4024.1601 before any rotating shaft is engaged.
7. 7Administrative — Conduct documented daily pre-start inspections using the attached checklist, complete spotter protocols under powerlines maintaining 6.4m clearance per ENA NENS 04.
8. 8Administrative — Restrict operation to workers holding verified competency (AHCMOM202 or equivalent), enforce maximum 10-hour shift limits and rotate operators during peak heat periods.
9. 9PPE — Wear close-fitting cotton drill clothing without drawcords, AS/NZS 1801 hard hat when dismounted near loaders, and AS/NZS 1270 Class 5 hearing protection in open-station tractors.
10. 10PPE — Use AS/NZS 1337.1 impact-rated eyewear during ripping and slashing, plus AS/NZS 2210.3 steel-cap boots with shank protection for implement coupling tasks.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

At a 1,200 hectare mixed cropping enterprise preparing for summer hay baling, the farm supervisor convenes a pre-start brief at the machinery shed at 5:45am with two operators and one casual hitching assistant. The SWMS is laid on the bonnet of the lead tractor and each hazard line is read aloud. When the team reaches the PTO entanglement entry, the assistant identifies that the round baler's input shield is cracked from the previous season — the SWMS control mandating AS/NZS 4024.1601 shielding triggers an immediate stand-down of that unit and substitution to the backup baler. The overhead powerline hazard prompts the supervisor to mark the paddock map with a no-raise corridor along the eastern boundary where the 22kV SWER line crosses, and all three workers sign onto the document acknowledging the 6.4 metre clearance rule. Mid-morning, ambient temperature climbs faster than forecast and the heat stress administrative control is invoked: operators rotate every 90 minutes instead of the planned two hours, and the SWMS is annotated in pen with the revised rotation, initialled, and photographed for the digital record. At smoko, the supervisor reviews the slope hazard before moving to the river paddock and confirms the 15-degree elimination threshold is not breached using a clinometer app, recording the reading on the SWMS reverse before resuming work.

Related legislation

• WHS Act 2011 (model)
• WHS Regulation 2025
• Managing the Risks of Plant in Rural Workplaces CoP; AS 2789 — Quad bikes

Frequently asked questions