Farm deaths 2020: ATVs, side by sides and tractors main causes of fatal injury

There was an “alarming” increase in deaths from quad bikes and side by sides on farms last year. We break down the newly released data here.

Quad bikes and side-by-side vehicles were the leading agents of on-farm fatal injuries in 2020. Picture: File

QUAD bikes, side-by-side vehicles and tractors accounted for more than half of all on-farm deaths in Australia last year.

A new report released today by AgriFutures Australia, using data collated by AgHealth Australia’s National Farm Injury Coronial Database, revealed 58 on-farm deaths were reported in total for 2020 — the same as the year before.

And that number could rise due to a lag in the data collection method.

Seventeen of the deaths happened in NSW, 16 in Queensland, 14 in Victoria, five in Western Australia, three in Tasmania, two in South Australia and one in the Northern Territory.

There was 14 deaths involving a quad bike (up from 11 the year before), seven a side-by-side vehicle (up from five), and nine a tractor (up from eight).

AgriFutures Australia senior manager, rural futures, Jennifer Medway said that while the statistics showed progress was being made in some areas, it was alarming to see the increase in deaths from quad bikes and side by sides.

“Side by sides have long been considered a safer option to quads, but the numbers don’t back that up,” she said.

“They are only now increasing in popularity and are already making a sizeable contribution to the death toll.”

Other non-intentional on-farm deaths in 2020 were attributed to cattle (1), a snake (1), dam (1), creek/river (1), powerline (1), silo (2), water source not otherwise classified (1), aircraft (2), car (1), motorbike (1), truck (1), utility (4), rope (1), harvesting machine (1), mobile farm machinery not otherwise classified (2), firearm (1), power saw (1), fire/smoke/flame (1) and trees being felled (3). One was not classified.

Eight children under 15 years died and 20 men aged 60-74 were killed, making that the most prevalent age group for fatalities.

Rural Safety and Health Alliance executive officer Andrew Barrett.

Rural Safety and Health Alliance executive officer Andrew Barrett said the figures released today showed the cost of human life incurred in the production of our food and fibre was still too high.

“As a sector so proud of innovation and progress, we must be equally concerned and focused on why so little has changed in our health and safety record over time,” he said.

“Other non-agricultural industries have accepted that ‘inherently dangerous’ is not a condition of work but a call to action.

“Actions that target known and persistent risks, using risk controls proven to reduce the potential for death and serious injury need to be enforced if we are going to see any noticeable change in these statistics.”

Since 2001, 1548 people have lost their life on a farm due to non-intentional injury.

People over 50 years accounted for 50 per cent of all reported incidents, while children under 15 accounted for 14.8 per cent.

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