Wagga farm safety event brings women together through art

The event will take place on Friday 23 August 2024, from 11am to 2pm, at Unique State Art Space, 43 Thompson Street, Wagga. Women from agricultural businesses and workplaces can connect and share their experiences of staying safe on farms.

Participants will create art while SafeWork representatives discuss safety issues affecting farming and agricultural businesses. Farming accounts for one in five worker deaths in NSW, with agricultural workers continuing to experience higher rates of serious injury and death than workers in other industry sectors.

Mental health will also be part of the discussion. Farmers experience suicide and depression more commonly than the general population, amid working pressures that include financial strain and isolation.

Representatives from the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program (RAMHP) will provide mental health education and connect attendees with services where needed. The NSW Rural Women's Network will also share resources, initiatives and service links.

The NSW Government’s Rural Women’s Resource hub offers support covering cost of living, employment, training and careers, health and wellbeing, and recreational and social connections.

Head of SafeWork NSW Trent Curtin said the event aimed to empower agricultural managers and workers to take a leading role in making workplaces safer. He described it as an opportunity for women in the Wagga area to exchange ideas, connect and build their work health and safety knowledge in a relaxed setting.

Those interested in attending can register through the SafeWork NSW website.

How Blue Safe can help: Our free WHS self-check can help you review your approach to workplace health and safety, including psychosocial hazards, and identify areas that may need attention. Take the free WHS self-check