It's that time of the year again when farmers across Victoria are busy gearing-up for harvest.
While we are busy organising staff for harvest, getting our machinery ready and checking crops, it is critical we also take the time to review our farm safety procedures and practices.
Long hours, heavy vehicles and high temperatures make harvest a high-risk period for accidents and harvest fires.
While we all want to ensure a safe workplace for our staff, families and ourselves, it is up to us as farmers to ensure we have the safest possible environment for all workers.
It can be overwhelming to know where to begin.
That's why I'm urging all farmers to take a step back and ensure our health and safety remains the top priority at all times.
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) offers many comprehensive, free-of-charge health and safety services for farmers. These can be accessed by calling the VFF on 1300 882 833.
This time of year can be one of the most rewarding times as many of us begin to reap the benefits of crops sown earlier this year and months of hard work start to pay-off.
As many of us begin this process, I urge you all to make health and safety your number one priority to ensure we're all around this time next year to do it all over again.