An elderly man has become the ninth farm worker killed in Western Australia in the past year, a toll authorities say is unacceptable.
The 89-year-old farmer died late on Tuesday at Berkshire Valley, 200km north of Perth.
He was reported to have been unloading hay from a tractor when it slipped into gear, rolled forward and struck him, WorkSafe said in a statement.
Commissioner Darren Kavanagh said the incident would be investigated.
"This is the ninth death in agriculture workplaces in the past year, and that figure is not acceptable," Mr Kavanagh said on Thursday.
"I'm particularly concerned about farmers in the over-60 age group, as six of the nine agriculture workers who have lost their lives over the past year have been in this age group.
"Agriculture is frequently represented in the top three industries for workplace deaths, and there's an increasing need to give greater priority to safety and health.
"I have called upon agriculture industry leaders to increase efforts to change these tragic circumstances in this industry."
WorkSafe last month said it was investigating the death of a shearer near Northam who was reported to have been caught in a wool press.
Another reported incident in December involved a 72-year-old farmer struck by a tractor that he had been attempting to jump-start in the state's Mid West.
