Tragedy strikes Gippsland farm

A woman has died after a farm incident near Yarram where she was injured while operating a silage wrapper.

Emergency services were called to the scene of a farming incident in Jack River on Wednesday where a woman was injured and flown to hospital. Picture: Jack Colantuono

Tragedy has struck a Gippsland farm with a woman killed while preparing silage.

WorkSafe Victoria are investigating after a 47-year-old woman died following an incident at a Jack River property, located west of Yarram.

At about 11am, emergency services were called to the southwest Gippsland farm where the woman was flown to the Warragul Hospital in a critical condition.

On Thursday WorkSafe Victoria confirmed the woman died from her injuries following the incident.

WorkSafe Victoria said the woman was injured while she was operating a silage wrapper.

It is understood the woman was working alone before she was found underneath the machinery by other workers.

The death is the 39th confirmed workplace fatality and the seventh in the agriculture industry this year.

There were 63 work-related deaths at the same time last year.

Agriculture makes up only 2 per cent of Victoria’s workforce, but accounts for 14 per cent of workplace deaths. Most deaths on farms (about 75 per cent) involve mobile plant and farm vehicles, according to WorkSafe Victoria.

Earlier this year farm safety advocates called for long-term funding commitments after a tragic start to the year where 13 on-farm fatalities were recorded in just 10 weeks.