Petition On Farm Tractor Safety

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30190, 23 July 1963, Page 21

Petition On Farm Tractor Safety

A petition to Parliament, requesting that legislation be passed making it mandatory for owners to fit their tractors with approved safety cab frame devices, was being organised by the South Island section of the New Zealand

Workers’ Union, said the union’s South Island secretary, Mr W. A. Dempster, yesterday. The object of the petition was to ensure the safety of the tractor driver in the event of either wheeled or crawler tractors turning over.

The union* general secretary. Mr H. J. Allen, had agreed that the national union would sponsor and support the organising of a petition for it* agricultural members.

Dempster. "At precent they offer little or no protection at all to the drivers. One must congratulate Hutchinson Motors, of Christchurch, for importing for trial a few

Bonser safety cab frames.

In the years January, 1949, to December, 1962, there were 299 fatal tractor accident* on New Zealand farms, said the

made both with and without anti-roll extension bars.” Mr Crosbie said that when he visited Sweden in 1961, he found that 20.000 safety cab frames had gone out on new tractors in two years. Another 5000 frames had been fitted to existing old tractors over the same period. In those two years, 18 farm tractors had rolled over in Sweden. The fact that only one driver was killed spoke for the safety advantages of the protective frames. The driver who lost his life was drowned in a stream.

district machinery instructor of the Department of Agriculture, Mr C. J. Crosbie, yesterday. He said that it was compulsory to have safety cabs on tractors used on farm* in Sweden. Mr Dempster said that he was now publicly inviting organisations such a* Federated Farmers, Young Farmers’ Clubs and the National Safety Association, to assist with the petition. At the annual conference of the agricultural workers, shearers and shed hands of the South Island section of the New Zealand Workers’ Union on Saturday, said Mr Dempster, the member of Parliament for Riccarton, Mr M. A. Connelly, offered to present the petition to Parliament.

The conference. Mr Dempster said, had been gravely concerned with the lack of tractor safety on farms for many years. It was conscious of the lack of progress in the arresting of tractor accident* on New Zealand farms "Four-wheeled farm tractors must now surely be called ’killers',” said Mr