Safety Alert: Avoiding waratah driver injuries
Two cases of farm workers suffering significant hand injuries while using waratah drivers to place a post for anchoring or fencing has resulted in the latest Safety Alert by Safer Farms.
Both farms shared their accounts of the recent accidents – each of which resulted in the workers being admitted to hospital for surgery – to help raise awareness for other farm businesses.
In these incidents, the farm workers lost control of a waratah driver while using it for ramming waratahs. Neither of them were wearing gloves.
The Safety Alert highlights that this was not the right tool for the job and lists more suitable tools and systems that could be used for this task.
Safer Farms chairperson Lindy Nelson said businesses across the supply chain were involved in Safer Farms, recognising that the whole sector benefitted from improved health and safety.
“The farms have flagged this up to us to help raise awareness of this risk for other farm businesses. Both of these injuries required surgical repair and Worksafe was informed about the incidents.
“Spring is often a time when farmers are looking to carry out fencing maintenance, so this is a very useful Safety Alert for upcoming toolbox meetings,” Nelson said.
The alert recommends:
1. Checking all team members using a waratah driver understand safe use of the tool.
2. Ensuring workers undertaking such tasks know to wear PPE leather gloves and safety glasses.
3. Determining if there is an alternative method of an anchor system which is not reliant on using your current waratah driver.
4. Having emergency items available and making sure your team is familiar with working alone procedure and notification for incidents.