Tractor tragedy sparks warning

A CORONER has warned of the dangers of using tractors following the death of a cattle farmer at Glengarry.

On Monday, Coroner Simon McKee handed down his findings into the death of 75-year-old Robert Norman Selby, who was run over by a tractor in April 2018.

During the coronial inquest, Mr Selby’s wife said her husband had more than 50 years of driving experience in various conditions.

On the day of his death, Mr Selby drove a Ford 4000 tractor to his neighbour’s property to assist in feeding cattle.

He stopped the tractor, dismounted it and tried to dislodge the bale that had gotten stuck with the help of a fellow worker.

Mr Selby returned to the side of the tractor, which was running but stationary, with his co-worker turning around to see him being run over by the vehicle’s left back wheel.

He told the co-worker he was all right, and as neither of them had mobile phones on them, she ran back home to get help.

Emergency services attended and provided treatment to Mr Selby but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A transport investigator found two main safety problems with the tractor in question, including that its neutral switch was disabled and also the foot brakes did not have a locking pin.

Mr McKee accepted it was likely Mr Selby had engaged the gears while standing beside the tractor with the intention of the vehicle moving forward so he could remove the bale of hay from a lowered spike.

He said it was probable Mr Selby got caught out when the tractor moved forward at a higher gear than expected.

The coroner said Safe Work Australia claimed a number of rollover deaths could be prevented by installing a Safe Tractor Access Platform, designed to stop people standing between the front and back wheels of a tractor, preventing crush deaths if the vehicle moved unexpectedly.