Tractor imports

Issued: 22/7/2025
Last Updated: 22/7/2025

Purpose

This safety alert highlights the dangers of importing tractors without important safety features into Australia. The alert will outline some of the important safety features that those importing tractors into Australia must be aware of to make sure imported tractors are safe.

Tractors used at all workplaces must comply with the relevant State or Territory work health and safety legislation.

Background

Tractors are being imported into Australia directly through websites that may claim a tractor is fully compliant with health and safety standards. However, when the tractor arrives in Australia, it may not meet the required safety standards for new tractors sold in Australia. It is important that anyone privately importing new or used tractors into the country understands the risks.

If a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) imports a tractor for use at their workplace, extra importer duties will apply to the PCBU in addition to their primary duty to provide a safe workplace and plant, including to ensure the plant is without risk to the health and safety of those who use the plant at a workplace.

Recently, an issue identified with some imported tractors is they are not fitted with safety switches, which prevent the tractor from being started while in gear, with the power take-off (PTO) engaged or without the operator sitting in the operator’s seat.

Tractors from reputable manufacturers have been fitted with ignition safety switches since the early 1980’s. These early safety switches were often linked to the main clutch pedal and provided some protection to prevent a tractor moving when the ignition switch was activated. However, most contemporary tractors have safety switches to prevent the engine starting while in gear and with the PTO engaged.

The risk of someone being run over by a tractor is significantly greater when its ignition is not fitted with a safety switch. Without a safety switch, a tractor could be inadvertently started, causing it to either run someone over, crush them against an obstruction or cause injury from an attachment suddenly moving. More information on specific duties of importers of plant is provided in section 2.2 of the Rural plant Code of Practice 2024 (PDF, 1.73 MB) (Rural plant Code) and section 24 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act).

Some imported tractors have other design flaws including:

• Hydraulic hoses and valve bodies for four-in-one attachments located inside the cabin which can cause the operator to be struck by pressurised hydraulic fluid if a line or fitting ruptures.
• A roll over protective structure (ROPS) that has not been designed and tested to a recognised ROPS standard which can cause the ROPS frame and/or mounting bolts to fail if the tractor rolls over.
• No seat belt fitted on the operator’s seat.
• Auto levelling not provided on the front-end loader (FEL) attachment. Auto levelling prevents a load falling backwards out of a bucket and onto the operator when the bucket is raised to its full height (see Figure 1 and 2 below).
• Poor labelling of controls, without correct symbols and/or not in English.

Figure 1: The angle of the earthmoving bucket attachment, relative to the ground, is greatly increased as the FEL is raised, which allows the load to roll back on the tractor or operator.

Figure 2: With self-leveling anti-rollback device incorporated into the FEL and its attachments, the angle remains the same and ensures the risk of rollback is eliminated when operated correctly.

Recommended action

Imported tractors should comply with the current technical standards and be provided with an ignition that only permits the tractor to be started with:

• the operator sitting in the operator’s seat (i.e. not standing on the ground),
• the tractor transmission (e.g. drive gearbox) in neutral and/or the clutch pedal depressed, and
• all power take-offs (PTO) disengaged.

For tractors used at a workplace, a ROPS must be fitted to the tractor in accordance with section 216 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (WHS Regulation).

Not following these safety measures could not only cause serious injury for you, your workers or others but could also incur a maximum penalty of 60 penalty units, resulting in significant fines.

ROPS should comply with the design and testing requirements specified in the Australian Standard AS1636.1-1996 Tractors – Roll-over protective structures – Criteria and tests or an equivalent standard such as ISO3463, ISO5700, ISO12003, SAE J 1194 or SAE J 2194.

Tractors with cabins should have valve bodies and hydraulic hoses fitted outside of the cabin to reduce the risk to operators in the event of a hose rupture.

All tractors with a front-end loader attachment should be fitted with auto levelling on the bucket that keeps the bucket level as it is raised.

Section 24 and 25 of the WHS Act outlines additional duties for PCBUs who import or supply plant that is, or could reasonably be expected to be used at a workplace, including tractors. This includes the duty on importers or suppliers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the plant is without risks to the health and safety of persons who use the plant at a workplace. Safe Work Australia’s Guidance material for the safe design, manufacture, import and supply of plant provides advice for small businesses and workers who design, manufacture, import or supply plant.

Persons who import individual tractors for private, recreational use should be aware that tractors without safety features may place themselves, family, friends and anyone else using the machinery at an unnecessary risk of serious injury or death.

The Rural plant Code (PDF, 1.73 MB) provides guidance to the agriculture sector on working safely with rural plant, including tractors, to help reduce the risk of injuries and fatalities and help the sector meet its work health and safety obligations. The Code commenced on 23 September 2024, replacing the Rural plant Code of Practice 2004 and the Safe design and operation of tractors Code of Practice 2005.

Additional guidance on tractor safety features that buyers should consider is outlined in section 7.2 – Tractors of the Rural plant Code (PDF, 1.73 MB).