KEY POINTS:
Safety requirements for ride-on mowers and brush-cutters are being reviewed by the Department of Labour as the result of an accident that killed a Christchurch man in January.
Alexander Charles Goodman, 26, suffered a fatal head injury when he fell off a brush-cutter which then rolled on him.
The automatic cut-off switch attached to the driver's seat - which was meant to turn on in his absence - did not work and he was struck in the head by the turning blade.
Emergency services found him dead at the scene.
Department inspector Ian Bensemann told an inquest before Christchurch Coroner Richard McElrea yesterday that the mower's importers had sent a newsletter to all known owners highlighting the dangers of rolling since the accident.
The Labour Department's head office was also reviewing the weight-limit requirements for roll-over protection cages on such vehicles.
At present, the cages were not required on vehicles under 700kg but the vehicle in the Goodman case weighed 400kg.
Mr McElrea found Mr Goodman had been seen mowing across the face of a rough and uneven hillside section near Cornwall St in Lyttelton on January 10.
Detective Michael Ford, who investigated the accident, said it was difficult to see exactly where the roll occurred but the area had an inclination between 18 and 37 degrees.
Mr Bensemann said the usual practice was to mow up and down on steep hill sections.
The vehicle's manufacturers said it was capable of handling a 40-degree slope straight on but only 20 degrees when operating side-on to the slope.
He told the court the death could have been avoidable if Mr Goodman had followed the manufacturer's recommendations for mowing on hillside slopes.
"If the roll-over protection system and seatbelt had been fitted, it would have prevented the degree of injury that claimed his life."
The inquest was told that a roll cage and seatbelt were available and Mr Goodman had considered having them installed but the cost was $1750.
Mr McElrea said his written findings would detail his views about the extent to which defects in the machine might have contributed to the accident.
It had been imported in January 2003, had been worked hard and there were signs of a lack of maintenance.
The automatic driver's seat cut-off switch was not operating, a blade disengagement system was faulty and the rear tyres were worn, dramatically affecting sideways traction.
- NZPA
