Farmer fined $200k after farm worker died using tractor

October 19, 2018

WorSafe has fined a farmer $70,000 and ordered him to pay $130,000 in reparation over the death of one of his workers in 2016.

Scott Alexander McRae was charged under the Health and Safety at Work Act and was this week found guilty of systemic failures which contributed to the death of his worker.

McRae was sentenced in the North Shore District Court this week over the incident on his Wellsford farm.

The worker was towing a trailer carrying two bails of bailage when he lost traction on a sloped piece of land.

The tractor slid and jack-knifed against the trailer before rolling over, fatally injuring the worker.

WorkSafe investigated and found that roll-over protection on the tractor was severely corroded, and that McRae had failed to evaluate the risks.

In the past six years, 30 New Zealanders have been killed in accidents involving tractors, WorkSafe said.

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