Family farmer shares safety changes to protect future generations

Scott grows crops and raises sheep with his family on a farm in the Rupanyup North and Minyip district that has been operating for more than a century. Protecting his family, employees and the farm’s legacy has driven his approach to safety. "We did have to put time into making safety part of our routine, but now it saves us time," Scott said. "Productivity has shot up because I can be sure people know what they're doing."

For Scott, the strongest motivation was thinking about what a serious incident would mean for his wife Stacey, their two daughters and employee Lachie’s young family. "And we've got Lachie working here who's got a young family. The thought of making that phone call and explaining what's happened drove me to make changes."

His initial changes included vehicle maintenance, personal protective equipment and checking that everyone had downloaded the Vic Emergency App. Taking part in WorkSafe’s Safety Learning Network and meeting other agribusinesses helped him identify further improvements, including introducing a formal worker induction.

Scott brought in a safety consultant when developing the induction became overwhelming. "That's one of the areas I got a bit lost and a bit overwhelmed. So I decided to bring someone in to help me," Scott said. "It made me sleep better at night and a lot of confidence grew from it." He considered the support a worthwhile investment and encouraged farmers starting their safety journey to seek help and advice from other farmers rather than trying to tackle everything at once.

Getting the correct signage for his chemical shed was another challenge, which Scott addressed after a visit from WorkSafe Inspector Will Neville. "The best thing about Scott is he's always willing to listen and learn and continuously improve along the way," Mr Neville said.

Scott said support from WorkSafe and other external services had benefits for both protecting lives and running the business. "It felt like a big challenge at first, but once I started having conversations and making a few changes, I realised it wasn't as hard as I thought. Now, I can see the benefits in how we work every day," Scott said. He sees his safety efforts as a way to honour the farm’s history and protect future generations.

Agriculture employs just two per cent of Victoria’s workforce, yet regularly accounts for more than 10 per cent of workplace deaths. Since 2021, 33 people have died in agricultural workplaces, including one already this year. During the same period, WorkSafe accepted 2,245 workplace injury claims from agricultural workers.

WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin said farmers should receive support to take safety action in ways that suit them. "Farmers know their land, their vehicles and their teams better than anyone," Mr Jenkin said. "We are here to give them the tools and confidence to make safety a routine part of farm life." The It's never you, until it is campaign has returned across television, radio, print and online channels. WorkSafe also highlighted the Making our Farm Safer project, which is designed to improve safety and skills outcomes for Victorian farmers.

How Blue Safe can help: Our WHS platform can help you organise inspections, training records and incident reporting as part of everyday farm safety management. We provide tools to help you keep track of safety activities and follow-up actions. See Blue Safe WHS software