Farm safety upgrades on offer in Footy’s Favourite Farmer competition
02 May 2024•BlueSafe Team•Source: WorkSafe VIC
Nominations are open for WorkSafe Victoria’s Footy’s Favourite Farmer competition, offering more than $20,000 in safety upgrades and other prizes for farmers and their local football netball clubs.
Run in collaboration with AFL Victoria and Netball Victoria, the competition offers the major winner $10,000 towards safety upgrades on their farm. Their community football netball club will receive another $10,000 for safety improvements or repairs.
Monthly winners drawn before the major prize in August will receive a safety pack worth almost $2,000. It includes a Footy's Favourite Farmer branded shirt, a personal safety tracking device and a quadbike operator protective device (OPD). The farmer’s club will also receive footballs and netballs valued at up to $1,000, while the person who nominated them will receive a prize pack worth more than $500.
WorkSafe Executive Director of External Affairs Sam Jenkin said the launch coincided with the beginning of WorkSafe’s Country Club Weeks for 2024. WorkSafe visited Numurkah ahead of its match against Nathalia.
"Our role is to reduce workplace harm and to improve outcomes for injured workers and in country areas we know a large part of staying safe at work means staying safe on farms," Mr Jenkin said. "Sadly, too many workers are killed or seriously injured on farms every year and we are working to change that entrenched 'she'll be right' attitude passed down through generations."
The competition recognises farmers’ contributions to their communities while highlighting workplace safety in agriculture. At the time of the release, four people had died in workplace incidents on farms that year. More than 550 people in agriculture and related support services had suffered injuries serious enough to receive workers compensation the previous year.
Luke Stuckey, the 2023 Footy’s Favourite Farmer winner, said WorkSafe’s support of country football and netball had considerable value. "Every day is dangerous and you know, every day is different. So, the dangers change from day to day (working on a farm)," Mr Stuckey said.
Nominations for Footy’s Favourite Farmer close on 2 August 2024.
How Blue Safe can help: Our free WHS self-check can help you review your business’s approach to workplace health and safety and identify areas that may need attention. Take the free WHS self-check