Finding into death of D M
Demographics
male
Finding date
2020
Cause of death
Injuries sustained in a tractor incident
AI-generated summary
A child died from injuries sustained when a fertiliser spreader weighing approximately 675kg, supported only by stacked wooden pallets, collapsed while being disconnected from a tractor on a family farm. The pallets cracked under the weight, causing the spreader to roll backwards and crush the child. The coroner found no mechanical faults with equipment but noted that supporting heavy machinery on wooden pallets is unsafe practice. The death highlights critical gaps in farm safety awareness, particularly regarding child supervision around dangerous machinery. Key clinical lessons include recognising that farm worksites present unique hazards to children due to heavy equipment, machinery risks, and the difficulty of concurrent work and adequate supervision. Prevention requires constant adult oversight, demarcation of hazardous areas, and family awareness of farm-specific safety measures.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Contributing factors
- Use of wooden pallets to support heavy machinery (675kg fertiliser spreader)
- Pallets cracked under weight of spreader and fertiliser
- Child present in farm worksite during machinery disconnection
- Inadequate supervision of child around dangerous farm equipment
- Unsafe practice of using pallets instead of proper support infrastructure
Coroner's recommendations
- WorkSafe Victoria in consultation with Victorian Farmers Federation should engage with farming families and conduct a public awareness campaign aimed at farming families highlighting the risks of having children on farm worksites while undertaking work and incorporating how to keep children safe on farms
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