A Tasmanian coroner is calling for a ban on vintage tractors after a man was fatally crushed by the same vehicle that killed his father. 

Tasmanian Coroner Olivia McTaggart has called for a ban on vintage tractors in commercial farming operations after the death of Chudleigh farmer Ian John Barwick in 2020.

He died when his own tractor rolled onto him while he was working on his property.

Tragically, this was not the first time such an incident occurred within the family. The same tractor was responsible for the death of Ian Barwick's father back in 1977, raising concerns about the safety of older farm equipment.

According to the coroner's report, on June 9, 2020, Ian Barwick, aged 67, left his farmhouse on the tractor to feed the cattle during winter. 

When he failed to return, his wife Patricia and son Jeremy initiated a search for him. 

A grim discovery was made at around 5:40 pm, with the tractor's back left wheel pinning Mr. Barwick down. The engine was running, but the tractor was not in gear, and the handbrake was not engaged.

Further investigation revealed that the tractor in question was at least 50 years old and had known mechanical issues. 

After the death of his father, Mr Barwick had even installed rollover protection on the tractor, highlighting the awareness of potential risks.

The coroner's inspection post-incident revealed multiple safety issues with the tractor, deeming it unfit for operational use. One of the most significant factors contributing to the tragedy was a non-operational handbrake, which played a major role in the fatal incident.

Tragically, Ian Barwick's death is not an isolated incident. 

The coroner's report highlighted that it was the fifth tractor-related death in Tasmania since 2017. Nationally, there were 131 tractor deaths between 2012 and 2022, with the majority of victims being males over 61 years old. The main causes of these accidents were found to be rollovers, unexpected tractor movement, and defective braking systems.

Coroner McTaggart said that as tractors aged, so did the physical capacity of their operators. Additionally, older tractors were often used in smaller family farming operations, compounding the risk.

In light of these statistics and tragic incidents, the Tasmanian Coroner strongly recommends that tractors manufactured before 1982 be legally prohibited from use in commercial farming operations. 

Alternatively, she says she advocates the mandatory retrofitting of Safe Tractor Access Platforms on such older tractors in use on commercial farms.