WorkSafe farm safety campaign challenges ‘she’ll be right’ mindset

The campaign, It's never you, until it is, aims to prompt conversations about farm safety and provide practical ways to reduce risks. Among those supporting it is Tom, who grew up on his family’s sheep, cattle and cropping farm and now responds to medical emergencies in the Swan Hill region.

Tom said his upbringing exposed him to the belief that serious incidents would not happen to him or those around him. His experience attending farming and other workplace incidents has since changed how he views safety.

"It's a shock for some people because you might go for generations without incident and then one day, out of the blue, something can go wrong with a job that's really routine and change people's lives forever." Tom said many farm incidents could have been prevented with more planning or appropriate safety equipment.

With the busy harvest season approaching, WorkSafe inspector Deb Domain urged farmers to consider how to get through the workload safely and efficiently. She suggested stepping back to identify risks, considering fatigue and the induction needs of new workers, and walking through the workplace with someone who might spot overlooked hazards.

"Consider what job you're doing, do your risk assessment and think about how you're going to best protect yourself and your livelihood." Common harvest risks include fatigue, working alone, heavy machinery, increased vehicle traffic and work near overhead power lines.

WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin said farming pressures, particularly during harvest, could lead people to believe work had to be completed at any cost. He said farm deaths and injuries were preventable, rather than inevitable, and carried human and financial costs as well as downtime.

"Farming businesses with good safety cultures haven't got there by accident – it's important to talk to your workers and family, have safety at the front of your mind when planning for the work ahead and, if there's a risk, make changes."

How Blue Safe can help: Our free WHS self-check can help you review your approach to workplace safety and identify areas that need closer attention as you plan for busy periods. Take the free WHS self-check