In June 2023 an employee of Ascot Park Farm Holding Company Pty Ltd died of crush injuries when he became trapped between the bucket attachment of a skid steer loader and a cabin. The 38-year-old man was performing maintenance on the skid steer loader at a property in Nathalia, in the north of Victoria.
WorkSafe has now charged Ascot Park Farm with two breaches of the OHS Act’s s.21(1) for failing to provide or maintain a safe working environment. WorkSafe alleges that the company failed to provide or maintain safe plant by failing to have the skid steer loader inspected and allowed the plant to be operated before its safety bar interlock system was repaired by a qualified person.
The company also faces a charge for breaching r.98(2) of the OHS Regulations by failing to reduce the risk of serious injury or death by using engineering controls – for example, ensuring a properly functioning safety bar interlock system.
Read more: Farm charged after fatal skid steer loader crush | WorkSafe Victoria