Agricultural activities (tractor driving)

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Guideline review date: 24 September 2025

This guideline is provided to support schools in implementing the managing risks in school curriculum activities procedure.

The CARA planner (DOCX, 232KB) must be used for the specific school context in conjunction with this guideline considering additional risks, hazards and controls and including environmental, facility, equipment and student considerations.

For activities beyond the scope of this guideline, complete a CARA record using the CARA generic template (DOCX, 98KB).

Activity scope

This guideline demonstrates the minimum safety standard for students driving tractors (including front-end loaders) under the direct supervision of a licenced adult supervisor as an activity to support curriculum delivery. Tractor refers to a motor vehicle primarily designed to provide power or movement to an attached machine or implement by any transmission shaft—power take-off (PTO), belt or linkage system.

Note: This activity does not include the use of earthmoving or harvesting machinery.

The Department of Education is committed to ensuring that curriculum activities are planned for and managed in accordance with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld), to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of students, staff and others.

Depending on the scope of this activity, other risk assessments may be required when planning. Curriculum activities encompassing more than 1 CARA guideline, for example, agricultural activities (light vehicles, towing and trailers) guideline when tractor driving must comply with the requirements of all CARA guidelines appropriate to the activity.

For activities conducted at a non-Department of Education venue, and/or when engaging external expertise, request written risk assessment advice and attach it to this CARA record.

For activities conducted off-site, schools must comply with the school excursions procedure.

Risk level

High risk
Instructing tractor driving on solid level terrain, with or without a trailer, with no implements and with limited reversing.

Extreme risk
Instructing tractor driving on hazardous terrain (rough, boggy or sloping) with or without a trailer, reversing and using implements (e.g. front-end loaders and rear-mounted PTO implements).

Activity requirements

If any requirement cannot be met, the activity must not occur.

A registered teacher must be appointed to maintain overall responsibility for the activity.

Teachers, in collaboration with other adult supervisors of the planned activity, determine additional risks, hazards and control measures relevant to the activity and the specific school/group circumstances in order to lift the safety standard above the minimum identified in the CARA guideline. Consult review comments from previous CARA records to improve safety standards based on the advice from the previous supervisors of the activity at the school.

Prior consultation and collaboration with local expertise (e.g. local council, private landholder) is required for local advice, emergency support mechanisms and additional supervision requirements to ensure participant and public safety.

Permission/permits are required to be obtained from land managers (e.g. local councils or private landholders), if applicable.

Reference to the children and young workers code of practice 2006, the WorkSafe serious about farm safety guide and the hazardous manual tasks code of practice 2021 (PDF, 1.4MB) is required when planning this activity.

The standard operating procedures (SOP) for equipment and machinery resources must be followed.

Parents/carers must be informed about the necessity of relevant vaccinations, for example, Q fever.

Students must be 15 years or older to operate PTO implements and over 16 years or older to refuel vehicles.

Ensure instructors do not stand on the tractor stepping plates while teaching students to drive and are able to operate the controls of the tractor to immediately render it immobile in an emergency. Consider fitting remote immobilisation switch to tractors.

Ensure passengers do not ride on tractors unless seated in a proper passenger seat, including when operating in 'creep-mode' (idling at low speed).

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Students

Schools must consider age, maturity and skill level of students when planning curriculum activities.

Adjustments are required for students with disability to support access and participation in the curriculum. Consult with the parents/carers of students with disability or, when appropriate, the student to ensure risks related to their child's participation in the activity are identified and managed.

Schools must consult current student medical information and/or health plans in accordance with the managing students' health support needs at school procedure. Record information about any student condition (e.g. physical or medical, such as epilepsy) that may inhibit safe engagement in the activity and include specific support measures within emergency procedures.

For activities with students with a medical condition or disability that may impact on safety during the activity, consultation with parents is required prior to allocating supervision to determine the impact of students' medical condition or disability on safety during the activity.

For participants with known allergies, schools must comply with the supporting students with asthma and/or at risk of anaphylaxis at school procedure and the school's anaphylaxis risk management plan (DOCX, 159KB), including an adult supervisor of the activity with anaphylaxis training.

Emergency and first-aid

Induction and instruction

Consent

Supervision

Principals, in consultation with the qualified adults, make final supervision decisions for the activity that considers the local context.

Appropriate adult supervision must be provided to manage the activity safely (i.e. prevent an incident from occurring and manage an incident if one were to occur, including managing emergency situations). The principal must give active consideration to the minimum standards set in the CARA guideline for the activity, the CARA planner and the risk assessment when determining the appropriate level of supervision.

See number of adult supervisors below.

Before the activity, all adult supervisors:

must be familiar with the contents of the CARA record, including the emergency and supervision plans.

During the activity, all adult supervisors:

must be readily identifiable
must closely monitor students with health support needs
must provide active and direct supervision—be constantly vigilant, attentive and rescue ready
must comply with control measures from the CARA record and adapt as hazards arise
must not allow students under 15 years of age to operate PTO implements
must not allow students under 16 years of age to refuel vehicles.

The activity must be suspended if the conditions become unfavourable (e.g. poor visibility, extreme temperatures, thunderstorms).

See frequently asked questions (FAQs) for further support.

Number of adult supervisors

Principals, in consultation with the qualified adults of the activity, determine the final number of supervisors to fulfil instructional, emergency and supervision roles for the local context that consider the nature of the activity, students' ages, abilities and specialised learning, access and/or health needs. In some instances, the final supervision ratio may be 1:1.

If the minimum safety standard cannot be met, modify the activity (or elements of it) and use the hierarchy of controls to implement alternative control measures to meet or exceed the minimum safety standard (e.g. reduce the number of students participating at any one time).

See FAQs for further support.

Supervisor qualifications

Qualifications support the minimum safety standard for this activity. Principals make final decisions* in determining supervisor capability (competence, relevance and currency) and whether the activity leader meets an appropriate teaching standard.

*See FAQs for further support.

All adult supervisors must comply with the working with children authority—blue cards procedure.

Qualified adults for the activity

Recovery/emergency—CPR, first aid, rescue

An adult with current emergency qualifications is required to be quickly accessible to the activity area.

Supervisors must have CPR and first aid qualifications relevant to the activity. Emergency qualifications may include:

Adult supervisors must be licensed with either class UD licence or class C open licence.

High risk activities

At least 1 adult supervisor is either:

a registered teacher with competence (knowledge and skills) in the operation and/or driving instruction of tractors and qualifications (e.g. AHCMOM202—operate tractors or RIIMPO315E—conduct tractor operations or similar) or another method determined by the principal
an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with competence (knowledge and skills) in the operation and/or driving instruction of tractors and qualifications (e.g. Certificate III in Agriculture or Certificate III in Rural Machinery Operations or similar) or another method determined by the principal.

Extreme risk activities

At least 1 adult supervisor is either:

a registered teacher with competence (knowledge and skills) in the operation and/or driving instruction of tractors and experience with any associated trailers, PTO implements and rural plant and qualifications (e.g. Certificate III in Agriculture or Certificate III in Rural Machinery Operations or similar) or another method determined by the principal
an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with competence (knowledge and skills) in the operation and/or driving instruction of tractors and experience with any associated trailers, PTO implements and rural plant and qualifications (e.g. Certificate IV in Agriculture or similar) or another method determined by the principal.

See FAQs for further support.

Facilities and equipment

The qualified adult supervisor of the activity, in consultation with the principal, determines the requirements for facilities and equipment appropriate to the local context.

Ensure tractors are fitted with reversing beepers and warning lights.

All rural plant (e.g. tractor, front-end loader) must comply with Australian Standards, rural plant code of practice 2024 (PDF, 1.7MB), the tractor safety operating procedure and agricultural science plant and equipment standard operating procedures.

Tractors must be fitted with suitable roll-over protective structure (ROPS) and a seatbelt, and used when in operation.

Consider fitting tractors with a remote immobilisation switch that is immediately accessible by the adult supervisor during the activity.

Participants must wear personal protective equipment as relevant, for example, appropriate enclosed footwear (steel cap boots when relevant), hearing protection, safety glasses with Australian Standards specification, breathing protection (e.g. mask) to protect against airborne particles, high visibility workwear or vests.

Equipment must be sized to match the ability and strength of students.

Agricultural machinery must conform to Australian Standards, be fit for purpose, in good working order, properly maintained and used in accordance with manufacturers' instructions and relevant codes of practice, and safe operating procedures (SOP).

A process for checking for damage for all equipment used in the activity (e.g. PTO implements, shaft, universal joints, guards, warning device/horn) must be established and employed.

A maintenance schedule (e.g. checking for damage, repairing) must be established and enacted for all plant and equipment used in the activity. Consult Equipment Maintenance Records (EMR) and Plant/Equipment Risk Assessments (PERA) documents.

A retirement schedule must be developed to replace plant and equipment by manufacturers' nominated expiry date or when significant wear causes a hazard.

Common hazards and controls

Further to those listed, include any additional hazards and control measures considering the local context of the activity.

Environmental hazards	Control measures
Animal bites/diseases Stings, poisoning, infection	Ensure the location is clear of obstacles and wildlife (e.g. snakes) that may pose hazards. Control allergen and disease risks associated with working with animals and with dust, dry matter and airborne organisms in stockyards, for example, Q fever
Environmental conditions Weather, surfaces, surrounds	Assess weather conditions prior to undertaking the activity, inspecting the intended location in order to identify variable risks, hazards and potential dangers. (e.g. dampen dust during high wind, control slipping hazards after rain). Follow the school's sun safety policy, including appropriate clothing (e.g. long sleeved shirts), sun protection (e.g. sunscreen) and shade facilities when outside. Follow the managing excessive heat in schools guidelines when participating in very hot or extreme heat conditions. Drink breaks to occur regularly. Make water available for individual participants between drink breaks. Descend slopes cautiously with tractor in low gear
Facilities and equipment hazards	Control measures
Activity location	Location must be suitable for the activity being undertaken. Undertake a reconnaissance of new or infrequently used locations to ascertain suitability. Plan to avoid hazardous terrain (e.g. slopes, hillsides, depressions and embankments) to reduce the possibility of tractor roll-over. If difficult terrains are unavoidable, provide prior instruction on appropriate techniques to traverse the terrain
Obstacles	Ensure the driving area is free of equipment so that it does not pose potential hazards
Tools, plant and equipment	Manage the risks of the tractor and any attachments using the guide for managing the risks of machinery in rural workplaces. Ensure all participants only approach a vehicle with the explicit and immediate consent of the driver and instructor if the ignition is engaged. Ensure the tractor is stationary before anyone approaches the tractor and when equipment is hitched (e.g. on solid terrain, the engine switched off / safe park mode with brakes applied). Ensure machinery is not left with the engine running without adult supervision. If a tractor attachment becomes blocked, stop the tractor, disconnect the drive to the attachment and stop all moving parts before clearing any obstruction. Ensure keys and starting devices are removed from tractor when not in use and stored in a separate locked location. Hitching of trailers to tractors must be performed in accordance with the rural plant code of practice 2024 (PDF, 1.7MB)
Heat sources	Assess and control risks associated when rural plant parts become hot (e.g. tractor exhaust system)
Hazardous substances Corrosive, flammable, carcinogenic, volatile chemicals	Ensure all chemicals required for the decontamination processes are arranged in advance and are readily available. Refuel the vehicle safely (e.g. in a well-ventilated area, when the engine is cold, maintain contact between the metal outlet of the refuelling hose and the fuel tank to discharge static electricity)
Noise	Consult the managing noise in manual arts/industrial technology and design workshops fact sheet
Student considerations	Control measures
Injury	Students aware of the location of emergency and first-aid equipment
Manual handling Lifting equipment	Use correct manual handling processes when lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling or carrying. Ensure appropriate lifting equipment is used to lift heavy objects or materials
Q Fever	Be alert to zoonosis—diseases that can pass from animals to humans (e.g. Q fever)
Slips, trips and falls	Assess and manage potential fall, trip and crushing hazards (e.g. surfaces with poor footing, obstacles, high loads). Consult the preventing slips, trips and falls fact sheet. Assess and manage risks associated with working at heights
Student issues Student numbers, special needs, high risk behaviours, medical conditions	Non-participants kept clear of the tractor driving area and where pinch/crush hazards exist. Students supervised in a safe location when not actively receiving instruction
Visibility	Have students wear easily identifiable clothing. Ensure staff can easily recognise those students with health support needs and are familiar with their needs

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