WorkCover NSW and WorkSafe Victoria have both used National Farm Safety Week to redouble their efforts to ensure workplace health and safety obligations are followed by farmers.

 

WorkCover NSW reminded the state’s farmers that the new ntional WHS laws that commenced operations in January means that farmers and farm managers are responsible for the health and safety of workers and other people who visit the farm, including customers, visitors and tradespeople.

 

General Manager of WorkCover’s Work Health and Safety Division, John Watson, said WorkCover was continuing to support the farming industry to adjust to the new arrangements.


“Farm safety continues to be a priority for WorkCover NSW after six fatalities and 1,766 injuries in the agriculture industry during 2010/11 that cost the WorkCover Scheme more than $20.1 million,” Mr Watson said.



“The most common injuries involved mobile plant and vehicles including tractors, quad bikes and machinery as well as sprains and strains while handling animals, and being hit by, and falling from, animals. 

 

Meanwhile in Victoria, WorkSafe has kicked off a year long safety campaign aimed at reducing the number of fatalaties and injuries occurring on farms.

 

More than half of the 478 claims WorkSafe received in the agriculture industry last financial year came from livestock farming, particularly dairy, sheep and beef cattle farming,” WorkSafe Victoria’s Ross Pilkington said.

 

“Many injuries were caused by workers being hit by moving objects, body stressing, slips, trips and falls and vehicle accidents.”

 

How machinery is used in dairy processing, livestock handling, the use of tractors and quad bikes and equipment maintenance are just some of the main areas WorkSafe inspectors will focus on as part of the campaign.

 

Quad bike safety will also continue to be a focus, particularly the use of helmets as a basic safety device. WorkSafe is urging employers to consider fitting crush prevention devices to provide potential additional protection in the event of a rollover. 

 

Inspectors will also be looking to see if safe systems of work including proper instruction, training and supervision are in place.

 

“If you’ve got things under control we’ll be in and out very quickly but if you don’t, action to get issues fixed will be taken either through voluntary compliance or through issuing an improvement notice,” Mr Pilkington said.

 

“Farms need to be treated like any other workplace out there, even if it’s a small, family operated business.”

 

“They don’t have to be dangerous, they can be made safer but it requires a team effort. Taking the time to think through a problem and following it with action could make a huge difference.”