Year-long safety campaign to target Victorian farms

24 June 2010

WorkSafe Victoria will target Victorian farms in the next year in a statewide operation to reduce deaths and injuries.

WorkSafe’s campaign begins 1 July and will target the most common causes of death and serious injury on farms.

This includes tractor safety, including the fitting of rollover protection on tractors; machinery maintenance by a competent person; the use of helmets on quad bikes; training and supervision; and the use of machinery for its intended purpose.

WorkSafe will issue Improvement and Prohibition Notices which will require safety improvement work to be carried out or which will prevent work if there is an immediate risk to someone’s health and safety.

Seven of the 12 work-related deaths reported to WorkSafe since 1 January have happened on farms, and there have been 25 work-related deaths on Victorian farms since the start of 2005. 

“This is a crisis affecting a vital part of the Victorian community,” WorkSafe’s Executive Director, Cath Bowtell, said at the Victorian Farmers Federation conference in Bendigo today.

“WorkSafe is serious about improving safety in this sector. We will take a tougher approach in the next 12 months, but WorkSafe’s intervention won’t be needed if people use the resources available to them and make their own safety improvements.”  

Ms Bowtell called on the VFF and its conference delegates to use their influence and networks to spread the word about farm safety to the broader community.

“If the same number of deaths were happening in any other industry, there would be an outcry.”

Ms Bowtell said while efforts were being made in the farm sector it was not consistent and required broader involvement across the regional community.

“The worst thing that can happen is not a visit from a WorkSafe inspector.

“They will offer help and support, enforce the law and is notices are issued expect them to be complied with.

“WorkSafe can’t do it on its own we need the VFF, farm families and individuals to raise issues and take action.

“For people owning, working or living on farms or operate in the agriculture sector, you have an opportunity to make a difference, to protect yourself, your family, business and clients.

“The question you should be asking is what’s the worst thing that could happen? Chances are, it has happened someone before,” she said.

While farm death rates are high, WorkSafe figures show that there are at least 500 serious injuries every year on Victorian farms, but since most farmers are self-employed, the number of injuries to those outside of the workers compensation system is not known.

“What we do know is that the cost of treating the injuries that do make a claim is more than $1-million a year.

“Farming families know and understand the risks on their properties. Getting the family involved can make a difference and spare them and regional communities unnecessary suffering.

“Using the farm and agriculture specific resources available from WorkSafe’s website (www.worksafe.vic.gov.au ), the free advisory service (1800 136 089) or inspectors who attended every major field day in the state you will be well placed to survive,” Ms Bowtell said.

Financial year	Work-related farm deaths	All Victorian work-related deaths	Farmers and farm labourers workers compensation claims
2009-2010	10 to date	26 to date	TBC
2008-2009	7	27	503
2007-2008	2	16	490
2006-2007	4	32	447
2005-2006	3	21	476
2004-2005	3	22	452
2003-2004	12	27	516
2002-2003	10	33	550
2001-2002	9	38	554
2000-2001	13	31	616
Total	72 (26% of total)	273	5080 + 2009/10
Average	Ave 7.2/year	27.3/year	Approx 511/year

Farming fatalities notified to WorkSafe Victoria in 2010:

• 17 June: A 42-year-old woman working in a vineyard died when she was hit by a branch blown from a tree in high winds at Woori Yallock in the Yarra Valley.
• 11 May:  A 33-year-old farmer was crushed under a grain silo weighing about 15 tonnes collapsed at Wyuna in northern Victoria.
• 28 April: A 78-year-old man died at Maude, north-west of Geelong, when his quad bike overturned on a steep hill.
• 15 March: A 65-year-old father and his 35 year-old son died near Rainbow in the state’s west when a metal windmill they were moving (using a tractor with a forklift attachment) made contact with a power line.
• 28 February: A 24-year-old man died at Bruarong, south of Yackandandah, when the tractor he was driving tipped over.
• 17 February: A 73-year-old man died near Donald in north-west Victoria, after being run over by a tractor.

Farming fatalities notified to WorkSafe Victoria in 2009:

• 23 November: A 62-year-old man died on a Werribee market garden after being run-over by a trailer attached to a tractor.
• 12 October: A 45-year-old man died near Portland, after being run over by a tractor.
• 06 October: A 46-year-old man died in the Yarra Valley, after becoming entangled in wire while spraying using a tractor.
• 12 May: An 86-year-old man died after being run over by a tractor.
• 29 March: An 82-year-old man died, after being run over by a tractor at Dollar in South Gippsland.
• 1 March: A 78-year-old man died in hospital after his quad bike rolled down an embankment at Mountainview in West Gippsland several weeks previously.
• 21 February: A boy under 2 years of age died at Creswick, near Ballarat, after being run over by a tractor.
• 14 January: A 58-year-old man died in East Gippsland after falling from his horse while mustering at Wulgulmerang.