Originally published by the Australian Institute of Health & Safety

SafeWork SA recently issued a safety warning the safe use of slashers being used to cut long grass when bystanders may be nearby when machinery is in operation.

The warning was issued following an incident in which a contractor operating a tractor with a slasher attachment was slashing grass on a vacant block of land in October 2023 when a bystander standing too close was fatally injured.

SafeWork SA inspectors attended the scene and inquiries are continuing into the death.

Tractors with slasher attachments are regularly used by contractors and farmers in spring to cut long grass to minimise fire risk in summer.

Slashers present a significant risk of objects being ejected from the blades at high velocity during operation.

A guide on health and safety standards for slashers, developed by the NSW Government and WorkCover NSW, said deflectors, chain curtains, or other suitable guarding must be mounted at the intake and discharge areas of the slasher to deflect projectiles towards the ground and minimise the potential of someone being struck by material while the slasher is in operation.

Where chains are used as a means of guarding, drop chains should be looped at the bottom to ensure guard integrity and to assist the guarding to return to the drop position.

“Single-link chain drop is not acceptable, except where individual drops are linked, at or near the bottom, by flexible steel-wire rope, to ensure they return to the drop position. There should be no gaps in the guarding, ie adjacent chain drops should be in contact,” the guide said.

Power take-off shafts must also be guarded, and the guide said operators must also ensure they are not operating slasher attachments near people and abide by any manufacturer’s specifications regarding an exclusion zone and guarding.