Australian farmers of all ages mark Farm Safety Week
Farm Safety Week Making farms safer from age 2 to 92.
22 July 2021
4 minute read
By: This Farm Safety Week, the National Farmers’ Federation is urging farmers to take stock of what safety means to all farm participants whatever their age.
“Agriculture and rural life represent a lifestyle second to none. On farms across Australia it’s common for multiple generations to be working and living alongside each other,” NFF CEO Tony Mahar said.
“The NFF welcomes Farmsafe Australia’s efforts to ensure all farmers have access to information that keeps themselves, their kids and their grandchildren safe and healthy.
Themed ‘Farm Safety Through The Ages – From 2-92’, throughout this year’s Farm Safety Week, Farmsafe Australia will highlight the key safety issues and risks that are most prevalent throughout the different life stages of a farmer, with the aim of reducing the risk of injury, illness and fatalities so commonly associated with agriculture.
Research commissioned by Farm Safe Australia in 2020 revealed agriculture was again ranked as the second most dangerous industry to work in by rate of fatalities, with those over the age of 50 most at risk from farm-related injuries or fatalities.
“The NFF is pleased to support Farmsafe Australia in tackling this distressing trend by asking communities to take greater responsibility in promoting safety issues in all rural areas.”
Mr Mahar said people were a farms’ most precious resource and putting in place measures to make the farm workplace and home safer was of paramount importance.
“It is not about restricting families who live and work on farms, it’s about embracing everything a life lived on the farm can offer, while minimising the risk of injury.
“We welcome and support Farmsafe Australia’s focus on making safer farms an intergenerational topic of conversation in every rural community.
The NFF’s $100 billion Roadmap includes a goal for zero farm fatalities by 2030.
“This is the most important goal in the Roadmap and to achieve it we all have a responsibility to create an on-farm culture that results in a dramatically reducing farm workplace injuries, may of which can be life-altering and some, tragically, life ending,” Mr Mahar said.
