Four Victorian ag-related deaths recorded so far in 2021
Agriculture is on track to retain its regrettable title as one of the state’s most dangerous industries. Here is the grim toll for the year so far. (Picture: File)
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Three people died in on-farm workplace incidents in Victoria while a fourth person was killed in an agriculture-related job in the first five months of this year, according to WorkSafe Victoria.
The statistics are similar to the past two years and put agriculture on track to retain its regrettable title as one of the state’s most dangerous industries.
In the same period, WorkSafe Victoria accepted 167 agriculture-related injury claims.
“Sadly farm workers, farmers and their family members are over-represented in workplace deaths,” said WorkSafe executive director of health and safety Julie Nielsen.
Effective July 1 last year, Worksafe’s workplace fatality statistics were broadened to include deaths from work-related transport incidents, disease, criminal acts, and medical or suicide incidents.
Taking into account this new definition, there were nine agriculture-related deaths in both 2019 and 2020, with all nine last year the result of on-farm workplace incidents. Seven of the nine in 2019 were linked to on-farm work.
There were also 427 agriculture-related injury claims last year, and 404 in 2019.
“Incidents involving vehicles and heavy machinery accounted for the majority of workplace deaths on farms in 2020 and we know that machinery and livestock continue to be among the most common hazards for farmers,” Ms Nielsen said.
“Farmers know their land, livestock and machinery better than anyone, but when safety is not a top priority, experience and common sense alone aren’t enough to prevent a tragic incident.”
Farms not only pose a risk to farmers and workers — Agrifutures and AgHealth Australia’s Non-intentional Farm Related Incidents in Australia found there were 58 on-farm deaths across Australia reported in the media last year, including 14 in Victoria. These numbers include both workplace and recreational incidents, but exclude cases of self-harm, and may rise if further incidents not reported in the media are found in the National Coronial Information System.
A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON FARM SAFETY
There have been 20 on-farm deaths in Australia in the first half of the year, down from 33 in the same period last year.
And one in ten fatalities and injuries over the six months involved children under the age of 15, a new report from Farmsafe Australia reveals.
Queensland recorded both the highest non-fatal injuries (50) and deaths on-farm (8).
NSW recorded 11 non-fatal injuries and three deaths. South Australia and Western Australia also recorded three deaths each but no non-fatal injuries.
According to the report, Victoria recorded two deaths and eight non-fatal injuries, and Tasmania recorded one death and one non-fatal injury.
Queensland also recorded the highest number of non-fatal injuries (76) in the 2020 calendar year, and 16 deaths - just one less than NSW, which recorded the most deaths on-farm.
Nearly two thirds of all farming fatalities in 2020 were farmers over the age of 45, and more than 80 per cent were male.
The report found quad bikes (21 per cent) and tractors (20 per cent) remained the leading causes of fatalities in the last 18 months.
Based on 215 interviews with Australian farmers across eight agricultural sectors, the report found most were concerned about animal handling (47 per cent) and operating machinery (40 per cent) as the top safety issues on their farms.
HOW PEEL AG PUTS SAFETY FIRST
For Inverleigh farm manager Tom Upton, safety reminders are built into his team’s daily routine.
Tom works for Peel Ag, managing 1450ha of crops, including wheat, barley, canola, fava beans and linseed, a flock of 2500 composite ewes, and three full-time employees.
Digital systems have long been a part of the farming operation, with combine harvesters and precision seeders equipped with the latest tech.
Run by brothers Colin and Rowan Peel, the business has also put firm focus on safety, with quad bikes phased out recently and replaced by more stable side-by-sides.
Tom says the safety culture was strong when he joined the operation five years ago, but he definitely saw room to improve the “paperwork everywhere” approach to record-keeping.
So two years ago, he spearheaded use of a digital system that tracks safety procedures and compliance through a smartphone app.
The solution, called Safe Ag Systems, has changed the way employees think about their daily routines, and also streamlined maintenance, compliance and biosecurity record-keeping.
“Everything else on our place is electronically based,” Tom says. “All our equipment is on a cloud-based system for paddock recording operations. We had been doing it for harvest, seeding, spraying.
“But we never had anything for recording safety. We’ve really just gone from having a paper-based system to having everything online, whether it is machinery or plant, it is QR-coded with procedural manuals, maintenance checklists and a repair history on machines.
“The focus for us is that our staff are our most important asset and keeping them safe is one of our biggest priorities. Every time they hop in a piece of machinery or motorbike, they have to scan a QR code and go through a checklist.”
Founded by Yorke Peninsula grain grower Caroline Graham and her daughter, Katy Landt, in 2017, Safe Ag Systems is used by farmers across Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
Business development manager Kirby Richmond-Davis says they work with producers to develop policies and procedures specific to commodities and individual operations, from macadamias to Merinos, apples to Angus cattle.
“We tailor systems to each commodity, and yes, they might be the first client in that industry or commodity,” she says. “Pineapples is our most recent.”
Ms Richmond-Davis says making safety checks easier will hopefully also help the farming community have more open discussions about near misses and accidents, to help the industry learn and improve.
“One thing I think would be essential, when there is an incident you discuss it and take learnings,” she says. “To make a positive change, it needs to be talked about; this happened, we owned it and this is how every ag business could learn from our mistakes.
“I know other industries do it really well. Construction and mining pull out these incidents and talk about them.
“I think it is the only way we can truly enhance the situation, by sharing knowledge.”
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