Latest statistics “of grave concern” for sheep farmers

Australia might have been built on the sheep’s back but the work is taking its toll on the health of producers with the latest figures “of grave concern”.

Bigger sheep and a less skilled workforce are making one of Australia’s greatest agricultural enterprises risky business.

New data from the Sheep Sustainability Framework annual report shows a 40 per cent increase in serious injury claims in specialised sheep farming year-on-year – a figure the report stated was “of grave concern”.

There were 263 serious injury workers’ compensation claims in the sheep industry during 2020-2021, according to Safe Work Australia.

Injuries included traumatic joint/ligament and muscle/tendon injuries and wounds, lacerations, amputations, and internal organ damage.

The SSF report said the increase in serious injury frequency over the reporting period was due to a number of converging issues including the “steady increase in average size, weight, and physical condition of sheep, particularly ewes”.

“This trend, coupled with shortages in skilled labour, means that the workforce is more likely to be working alone and/or for longer hours,” the report stated.

Victorian Farmers Federation livestock group president Scott Young said the size of sheep was a concern if it caused safety issues.

“I know in our case, we had ewes that were getting up to 120 kilograms and we had to change our ram source to get the size down,” Mr Young said.

“Sheep have been increasing in size, whether that has been some people switching to composites or breeding bigger Merinos to cut more wool and get a bigger frame size.”

The report also found the type of worker was another reason for the increase in injuries: “The older skewed age profile of the workforce increases the risk of serious injury – nearly half (47 per cent) of the sheep industry’s skilled workforce is aged 55 years and over.”

“Further, sheep producers are now more likely to draw from a pool of unskilled labour.”

Sheep are getting bigger, and it is pushing up the number of serious injuries in the industry.

But the rise in injuries was also about the working environment, with gains to be made in Work Health and Safety risk management.

“Findings from the 2022 national producer survey show that 57 per cent of sheep producers have conducted a WHS risk assessment to identify hazards that can cause harm to the

workforce,” the report said.

“(But) fewer than half have a WHS management plan that outlines specific risks and describes the measures in place to eliminate or control such risks.”

Mr Young said there were products such as “sheep handlers and better yards that can help decrease the chance of injuries happening and this should impact on the safety of sheep farms”.