Safety campaign to target Victorian farms

WorkSafe Victoria has kicked off a year-long safety campaign to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities occurring on farms.

WorkSafe’s Ross Pilkington said with three of those deaths involving animal handling, inspectors would focus on dairy, beef and sheep cattle farms. Dangerous machinery and unsafe manual handling will also be targeted.

“More than half of the 478 claims WorkSafe received in the agriculture industry last financial year came from livestock farming, particularly dairy, sheep and beef cattle farming,” he said.

“Many injuries were caused by workers being hit by moving objects, body stressing, slips, trips and falls and vehicle accidents.”

“We know a number of injuries are not picked up in these figures as many farmers are self-employed and not on the workers’ compensation system,” Pilkington said.

“Our priority is to ensure workplaces are as safe as possible and that workers get to go home to loved ones at the end of the day.”

“When an incident occurs in a country area, the impact it has on all involved is devastating, profound and long lasting.”

Pilkington said common safety issues identified on farms included machinery without guarding, forklifts without seatbelts, pallet racking being overloaded, poorly stored chemicals, quad-bike operators without helmets and tractors without rollover protection.

How machinery is used in dairy processing, livestock handling, the use of tractors and quad bikes and equipment maintenance are just some of the main areas WorkSafe inspectors will focus on as part of the campaign.

Quad-bike safety will also continue to be a focus, particularly the use of helmets as a basic safety device. WorkSafe is urging employers to consider fitting crush-prevention devices to provide potential additional protection in the event of a rollover.

Inspectors will also be looking to see if safe systems of work, including proper instruction, training and supervision, are in place. “If you’ve got things under control we’ll be in and out very quickly but if you don’t, action to get issues fixed will be taken either through voluntary compliance or through issuing an improvement notice,” Pilkington said.

“Farms need to be treated like any other workplace out there, even if it’s a small, family-operated business.”

“They don’t have to be dangerous, they can be made safer but it requires a team effort. Taking the time to think through a problem and following it with action could make a huge difference.”

WorkSafe’s safety tips for farmers:

• Make sure your tractor has rollover protection and falling-object protection.
• If you’re working at height, use a scaffold, elevated work platform or fall-protection device. Never travel on top of loads on vehicles or trailers.
• Make sure you’re using machinery for the purpose it’s intended. For example, when using a quad bike, ensure it used in line with the manufacturer’s design and specifications. Always wear a helmet and ensure people under the age of 16 do not operate an adult-sized quad bike.
• Be aware of the proximity of powerlines in paddocks where harvesting is underway.
• Keep children away from work sites and machinery in operation - particularly during loading and unloading operations.
• Fatigue leads to impaired judgement - take regular breaks, drink plenty of fluids and eat nourishing food.
• To avoid sun exposure and heat exhaustion, cover up and carry plenty of water.
• When tarping grain or covering loads on vehicles, be aware of the weather forecast and avoid working in high winds.
• If you’re doing manual tasks like lifting heavy or awkward objects on or off vehicles, use a vehicle loading arm to prevent muscle and bone injuries.
• If you’re working alone, always let someone know where you are and your expected time of return.