Originally published by the Australian Institute of Health & Safety
SafeWork NSW recently urged the 81,000 agricultural workers in the state to undertake work the safe way or ‘no way’ approach to work following a significant increase in reported agriculture industry safety incidents.
In 2013, there were 149 reported agriculture industry safety incidents in NSW, however, this number more than doubled to 358 incidents in 2022 – an increase of more than 140 per cent.
There have also been 34 agriculture industry related fatalities in NSW from 2022 to now, at least 10 of which have involved a quadbike or side-by-side vehicle. These include:
- On January 8, in Goohli, a side-by-side vehicle being driven by an adult and two child passengers were mustering cattle when the vehicle rolled into a dam, causing the death of one of the children.
- On 31 January, in Narromine, a 51-year-old man died after being ejected from a moving side-by-side vehicle on a cotton farm.
- On 1 February, 120km east of Tibooburra, a 32-year-old female contractor died when she was thrown off a motorbike.
While tractors, quadbikes, side-by-side vehicles and machinery are responsible for most farm-related fatalities, the regulator said auger intakes and harvesting machinery are also a major cause of harm and injury.
In May this year, a worker was carrying out maintenance on an auger and removed the guard while the auger was still in drive. His hand became entangled, resulting in the amputation of four fingers and partial amputation of his thumb.
“The agriculture sector accounts for one in five workplace deaths in NSW every year,” said head of SafeWork NSW, Trent Curtin.
“Business owners must make sure their workplaces are safe workplaces. It’s important to maintain your plant and equipment, consult with your workers about safety and make sure they have the right gear to do the job safely.”
On a national scale, Ag Health Australia reports that 1742 people have lost their lives on a farm due to non-intentional injury in Australia since 2001.
Last calendar year, a total of 32 on-farm deaths were reported, while there were 55 cases in the corresponding period for 2022.
Since 2001, 1742 people have lost their life on a farm due to non-intentional injury in Australia.
People in the 50-plus years category accounted for more than half of all reported incidents, while children under 15 years were present in 14 per cent of cases.
Males were involved in 88 per cent of incidents, while tractors and quadbikes have been the leading cause of fatal injuries on farms since 2001 – followed by horses, cattle and motorbikes. More than 86 per cent of incidents occurred in Queensland and New South Wales.
“To address the dangers or risks posed by quadbikes and tractors, targeted safety programs and evidence-based solutions are necessary. These include fitting older quadbikes with operator protection devices, promoting helmet use, and implementing rollover protection structures on tractors,” said Kerri-Lynn Peachey, farm safety research Manager at AgHealth Australia, part of The University of Sydney’s School of Rural Health.
In addition to physical safety measures, Peachey said education and training are also essential components of any farm safety strategy. “By providing workers with the knowledge and skills they need to identify and mitigate risks, we can empower them to protect themselves and their colleagues from harm,” she said.
Under SafeWork NSW’s “It’s the safe way or no way” approach to farm safety, there is “no way”:
- Children under 16 years should operate adult-sized quadbikes
- Quadbikes and side-by-sides should be operated without wearing a helmet
- Side-by-side vehicles should be used for joyrides with passengers not wearing helmets or seatbelts and passengers riding in the rear cargo tray
- Unguarded machinery, augers or other equipment should be operated, and
- People, product, mobile plant and equipment should be inadequately separated when loading and unloading livestock, bulk goods, hay and grain.
