Our Approach

Using the SCALE© Analysis Process, we appliedour structured MIA methodology, which included:

• Reviewing incident records for SIF potential and categorising risk types.
• Analysing control enablement and human error patterns.
• Identifying operational and organisational factors contributing to control failure.
• Mapping exposure trends across time, location, and business units.
• Recommending improvements to safety systems, metrics, and critical control architecture.

This approach enabled the leadership team to betterunderstand the background causes of high-risk events and prioritiseimprovements in control reliability and field supervision.

Research and Insight

Key findings revealed several areas for improvement:

• 70% of SIFp incidents involved motor vehicle use, with loss of control being the most frequent cause.
• Fire risks (including dry lightning) accounted for 10% of SIFp events, with gaps in forecasting and suppression systems.
• Falling object risks were linked to silo integrity, auger use, and telehandler operation.
• 58 incidents showed evidence of unintended human error or workarounds due to inadequate controls.
• Control enablement was stronger for motor vehicle behaviours but weaker for mechanical integrity and environmental risks.
• Operational factors included excessive risk tolerance, poor equipment maintenance, and high value placed on time-saving.

Tangible Outcomes

In response, the organisation:

• Proposed a binary SIFp classification system to improve incident categorisation and investigation depth.
• Recommended a journey management policy to guide vehicle selection, speed, and route planning.
• Initiated improvements in trailer coupling inspections and vehicle protections.
• Developed strategies for fire risk mitigation, including weather forecasting and equipment upgrades.
• Strengthened silo inspection protocols and operator training for mobile plant.
• Expanded working alone policies and considered health risk assessments for outdoor workers.
• Reviewed safety metrics to balance lead and lag indicators and encourage learning over compliance.

These actions are helping the organisation build a moreresilient safety culture and reduce exposure to serious harm across itsoperations. To learn more about how Meta Incident Analysis andthe SCALE© Analysis Process can help uncover hidden risks and improvecontrol reliability in agricultural settings, contact the Incident Analyticsteam.

‍