Looking at the statistics for safety records on Victorian farms makes for disturbing reading. We as an industry need to ensure our employees, families and communities are protected, and the current figures show we are not meeting this standard yet.
In 2017, there were 27 deaths at work in Victoria, according to Worksafe. Of these deaths, 14 occurred on farms, which is the highest number since 2004. Agriculture is a dangerous industry, with physical labour, heavy machinery, long hours and unpredictable animal behaviour contributing to the risks. However, other industries have faced similar challenges, and addressed them with success.
The mining industry in Australia also dealt with heavy machinery, long hours, and chemicals but they have made significant improvements over the past decade. They value their human resources extremely highly. Their aims in safety is ‘zero harm’, and to make their industry free of injury and fatality. The Minerals Council of Australia has stated beliefs that all injuries are preventable, that no task is so important it can’t be done safely, that all hazards can be identified and their risks managed.
Agriculture needs a similar change in attitude to the one seen in the mining industry. Our safety, and the safety of our families, employees and contractors is just as important, and we cannot accept compromises. However, this message does not seem to be getting through. We haven’t seen the reduction in injuries and deaths that we need. We are undertaking projects to improve safety. Quad bikes are one of the most potentially dangerous pieces of equipment on farm, and the Quad Bike Safety Rebate Scheme is addressing this issue now, offering rebates to equip quad bikes with rollbars, or to purchase an alternate vehicle.
WorkSafe has also funded the role of a farm safety officer at the Victorian Farmers Federation, who will work to improve on-farm safety. One thing the statistics show us is that experience is no guarantee against dangers on farms. We need to have a change in mindset from “it won’t happen to me” to “it happened to someone.”
Farmers tend to be conservative in how we do things, and resistant to changing practices that have worked in the past. But as we can see from the appalling number of deaths, the way things are is not acceptable, and we need tangible change to the way we function.
