Farmers urged to tackle fatigue as peak risk months highlighted
04 Apr 2024•BlueSafe Team•Source: WorkSafe VIC
WorkSafe Victoria is highlighting fatigue risks on farms, with its data showing March and November are peak months for agricultural workplace fatalities. A returning safety campaign is encouraging farmers and workers to discuss risks during busy sowing and harvest periods.
Jack, a farmer at Yalla-Y-Poora, south-east of Ararat, is supporting WorkSafe’s returning It's never you, until it is campaign. Advertising across regional television, radio, print and digital media will promote practical farm safety solutions and conversations about safety.
Drawing on his own experiences, Jack described fatigue as extremely common among farmers, particularly during busy periods. He recalled a nearby farmer who crashed a tractor into a power pole while baling at night after working long hours. The farmer was unhurt, but the machinery was badly damaged.
Jack said physically demanding work and long hours could catch up with farmers, challenging the belief that working longer always meant getting more done. "It's just a shame that it takes something bad to happen to create some good – you'd prefer to be proactive rather than reactive."
WorkSafe Inspector Dallas Braam urged farmers and farm workers to pay attention to their bodies rather than dismiss signs of fatigue. "Fatigue affects your decision making and when your decision making is affected not only are you affecting yourself, potentially, but the people you're working with, who are usually family and friends," he said.
Mr Braam said taking a break to drink water, eat or call a friend could help prevent an injury and get workers home to their loved ones.
Two people have died in workplace incidents on farms already this year, bringing work-related deaths in agriculture to 34 since January 2020. Serious injuries can also keep workers away from farming for extended periods, with more than 25 per cent of those seriously injured still unable to return a year after the incident.
WorkSafe Executive Director Narelle Beer said conversations about farm safety helped reduce the stigma surrounding health and safety in agriculture. "We're working for a future where safety is at the centre of farming operations and where deaths and injuries are seen to be preventable, not inevitable," Dr Beer said.
How Blue Safe can help: Our free WHS self-check can help you review your approach to workplace health and safety and identify areas that may need closer attention, including how you manage fatigue risks. Take the free WHS self-check