Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) is urging the State’s primary school students to use their creativity to keep farms safe.
Head of WHSQ, Tony James said entries were now open for the annual Farm Safety Calendar Competition.
“We want young artists to show off their work and deliver important safety messages for those who live and work on the land,” Mr James said.
“The 12 winning entries will go into the 2023 calendar to be displayed in homes and workplaces across the State as a year-round reminder to work and play safely on farms.”
He said students could use their artistic flair to illustrate important safety messages about electricity, animals, tractors and machinery, quad bikes, water or general health and wellbeing.
“Our statistics show that although the agriculture industry employs around three per cent of Queensland’s workers, it tragically accounts for around a third of our workplace deaths,” Mr James said.
“There’s a high workplace death and injury rate in agriculture, with farm vehicles, sometimes involving children, figuring in a large proportion of statistics.”
He said the competition was a great way to get kids at home and in their classrooms thinking about safety.
“After that, the calendars prominently — and very colourfully — display and reinforce a dozen important safety messages,” Mr James said.
The Workplace Health and Safety Queensland competition has been running since 2015 and almost 8,500 Queensland children have entered over those seven years. The 12 winners receive a $250 gift voucher and $500 for their school.
More information is available from the Work Safe website which can be accessed at this PS News link.
Entries close 24 June.
