The vast majority of employers honestly and sincerely believe they provide a safe workplace for their employees, and don't deliberately set out to put anyone in harm's way.
But often we see the lack of knowledge about their legal requirements as an employer result in unintentional omissions to required safety standards.
That is why resources such as the Victorian Farmers Federation's (VFF) "Making our Farms Safer" initiative, which offers free occupational health and safety (OHS) consultancies and farm safety audits undertaken by experienced Farm Safety Officers, are such vital tools.
"Making our Farms Safer" is available to all Victorian farmers and uses Farm Safety Officers to provide information and advice about improving farm safety, via on-farm safety walks designed to help farmers identify risks and changes they can make to improve farm safety.
It is no secret that many farmers are always busy juggling what can feel like a million things at once. But that's exactly when safety can sometimes get overlooked.
Agriculture in general is a high-risk workplace accident environment. So, we all have a part to play to fix this.
It is important to let skilled safety professionals help you take a load off, and provide you with the right advice, resources and a clear path to work towards compliance.
If we can assist farmers to understand that OHS compliance is not something that is achieved overnight, but takes time and leaves them comfortable with the right practical plans and ongoing support, that is positive progress.
Above all, we must prioritise the safety of our employees, our families and ourselves.
Safety is - and always must be - our highest priority because we all deserve to go home to our loved ones after a hard day's work.
I encourage everyone to use the resources we have on offer to ensure the highest possible safety practices are in place across their farms as we head into 2021.