Safer Farms Victoria

WorkSafe Victoria have issued a safety alert on the operation of silage wrapping machines. The stems from an incident that occurred in November 2024 in which a woman was killed. If you utilise these machines on your farm it would be worthwhile to ensure that you conduct a toolbox meeting and to discuss the contents of this safety alert with your employees and family members. https://lnkd.in/dHFT4pNx

Shanna Whan (AM) is the Founder of Sober in the Country and has a powerful story to share. Shanna will be presenting at a free event being hosted by the Victorian Drought Resilience Adoption & Innovation Hub at 9:00am on Tuesday 4 March 2025. If you're a farmer, or farm worker, in the Shepp, Benalla or Dookie areas this is definitely worth getting along to. Scan the QR code for more info or to register or click the link https://lnkd.in/gD3SPmzu https://lnkd.in/gVKQ3qYQ

WorkSafe Victoria has issued a media release highlighting that there were 119 successful OHS prosecutions in 2024, with fines exceeding $13m. This included a $750 fine for a farming fatality in 2022. Safer Farms Victoria has assisted a number of farmers after workplace incidents (including fatalities). It is devastating to see how hard it is for an employer go through the journey from the time an incident occurs to the end of the process. Add many more millions for the costs of the lawyers and barristers that have to be engaged to defend these matters. I would prefer to be on your farm telling you what you need to know, before something goes wrong and I have to hold your hand through the journey. It is a path that you definitely never want to go down. https://lnkd.in/gMYpzvCN

There have been three deaths on Victorian farms in just the first five weeks of 2025. Yesterday a 66 year old man was killed when he was run over by a reversing tractor on a farm in South West Victoria. Last Friday a 74-year-old Laharum man man was pinned under a trailer on a private property, emergency services were called to assist. The man was extricated by Ambulance Victoria at 9.30pm, and was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition. He died on Monday. WorkSafe Victoria is also investigating after the death of a 78 year old man at a North East Victorian property on Australia Day. It is believed the man, from the Wangaratta area, was driving an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) before it rolled and sadly died at the scene. https://lnkd.in/gawf9KXW

The fifth edition of the Safer Farms Victoria newsletter is now available. In this edition one of the biggest challenges for farm safety, the overuse of the word "Accident" is considered. Whether some gets hurt on your farm is often about the choice that you make - they are not accidents because accidents can be prevented! https://lnkd.in/gVeNRBQj

The guidance material created to support WorkSafe Victoria's Cattle Safety Campaign was developed in consultation with livestock farming representatives from the Victorian Farmers Federation, the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA), representatives of the vetinary and livestock agents and animal welfare representatives. It is pleasing to see the campaign is also being backed up by Inspector visits. https://lnkd.in/gv_hf4_X Disappointing that a Facebook page has been set up to highlight 'Crap Loading Ramps' https://lnkd.in/gWg7XAY8 If you are after advice on what good cattle ramps and yards look like reach out to Safer Farms Victoria. https://lnkd.in/gW9eYcBi

In 2023 the number of work related farm fatalities in Victoria halved from the previous year. In 2024 the number doubled for the previous year. Farmers themselves, and members of their immediate families, are over represented in the numbers. Farmers not only need to think about health and safety in the context of their legal responsibilities to their employees, but also in the context of their own safety and that of their families. in 2025 Safer Farms Victoria remains committed to doing as much as is humanly possible to inform, educate and influence so as to reduce the rate of incidents as possible. https://lnkd.in/gaS3fnDs

When I first started advocating for employers, around 2004, WorkSafe Victoria were even more prolific (by number) in their prosecutions than they are today, with around 200 prosecutions per year. The head of their enforcement and prosecutions arm regularly fronted employer and union stakeholders and were regularly challenged as I screamed "educate, educate, educate" and the unions screamed "prosecute, prosecute, prosecute". Back then Worksafe ran at a 92% success rate. Today they are running at somewhere around the mid-80's, a consequence of repeatedly not meeting the KPI's and then lowering the bar year after year. There are a range of factors behind the lower sucess rate, but disappointingly a lack of scrutiny means that they can hide behind poor performance. The public will only hear about successful prosecutions. In the early 2000's the enforcement arm of WorkSafe also had a KPI to investigate and lay charges for incidents within 13 months. In recent times WorkSafe have left the laying of charges right to the end of the two year deadline. This is terribly unfair not only to the employer concerned but also to the families of the injured/deceased workers.

Rules and consequences For the employer involved in this incident there is still a long way to go. Except for matters where workplace manslaughter charges are being considered (where there is no time limit), WorkSafe Victoria have a two year statutory maximum to lay charges. In this matter the charges were laid just days before the end of the two year time limit. This matter will next go to through the initial legal processes before being set for hearing, most likely in the Country Court. It may still be some time before it is resolved. It is notable that WorkSafe have included charges for breaches fo the construction regulations. If you are a farmer make sure that you engage suitably qualified building practitioners to undertake your construction projects. Construction work is specifically regulated under Victoria's OHS regulations. If you take it upon yourself to build your own sheds or buildings be aware that there are specific legal duties that apply to the performance of construction work and that there is significant legal (and safety) risks if these regulations are not followed. https://lnkd.in/guJZYA87

Farmers frequently argue about the safety of Quad Bikes versus Side by Side Vehicles (SSV's) simply because SSV's are also prominent in farm related accident and fatality statistics. A great article on ABC featuring Farmsafe Australia Inc chairperson, and Tasmanian cattle farmer, Felicity Richards discusses both. Quad Bikes are so prolific in farming fatalities that Safe Work Australia has a specific interavtive page dedicated to tracking the number of quad bike. There have been 20 fatalities on quad in the last twelve months in Australia. https://lnkd.in/gyJfTP3c The dissapointing aspect of quad regulation is that regulators refuse to mandate the fitting of the Operator Protective Devices (OPD's), or bars, to exisiting bikes on farms, preferring to push for mandatory training and banning children under the age of 16. These are administrative controls, not an engineering solution. The cause of death in fifty percent of quad bike fatailities is crushing or asphyxiation, from the weight of the bike landing on the person. The training won't stop this fom occurring but the fitting of a OPD will greatly reduce the likelihood. Apart from providing a greater level of protection, a farmer that fits an OPD would also reduce the likelihood of prosecution (including workplace manslaughter) as OPD's are a 'reasonably practicable' solution. SSV's definitely provide a much highel level of safety than quads. They have a wider wheelbase, a roll cage, seat belts and speed limiters. The main reason that people are being injured, or dying, in SSV incidents is for the failure to wear the seatbelt. In not using the seatbelt farmers, and farm workers, are often by passing a secondary engineering control which is the speed limiter. Many of the SSV's feature decals on the dash, or on the roof, indicating helmets (as fashionably demonstrated by Felicity) need to be worn when driving SSV's (definitely needed on quads). Many of the injuries, and fatalities, on SSV's involve peoples' heads coming into contact with the windscreen or the roll cage and could have been avoided if they were wearing helmets. - By choice, choose an SSV. - If sticking with the quads, fit the OPD's. - Make sure helmets are used on quads and SSV's. - Make sure seatbelts are worn on SSV. https://lnkd.in/gumemj2S