WorkSafe Victoria is marking National Farm Safety Week this week (18-24 July) by urging farming families to learn from the past to create a safer future.
WorkSafe said agriculture remained one of the State’s most dangerous industries and, sadly, four lives had already been lost in 2021 and 24 people had died as a result of workplace incidents in agriculture in the past three years.
“On top of this, more than one person every day working in agriculture is injured badly enough to lodge a worker’s compensation claim,” WorkSafe said.
“Farming is a business often passed down through generations,” it said.
WorkSafe said now was the right time to build safe practices into business operations to ensure an enviable farming lifestyle into the future.
Acting Head of Specialist Programs and Licensing at WorkSafe, Rob Kelly said National Farm Safety Week was a good opportunity for farmers to review their business and ensure they were prioritising safety.
“We know the ‘it’ll be right’ attitude that is common in agriculture can have deadly consequences,” Mr Kelly said.
“Just because you know your farm and have been working it all your life doesn’t mean you can let safety take a back seat,” he said.
Mr Kelly said taking the time to ensure a safe work environment was provided for farmers, their families and their workers was also the best way to build a productive and sustainable business that could be passed down to the next generation.
Further information on farm safety can be accessed at this PS News link.
