Risks and Hazards in 2023

Farm Safety – Risks and Hazards

Farming is one of Australia’s most hazardous jobs. Even though farms represent just one in ten workplaces, they account for a quarter of all work-related fatalities. Children under 15 and adults over 65 are more likely to be wounded or killed on farms than other age groups. In addition, men are more prone to sustain injuries than women.

You can lower the risk of accidents and illnesses on your farm by figuring out what the chances are and taking steps to reduce them. Accidents can be avoided by educating farmers and workers better and ensuring equipment is well-kept. It has the proper safety features, sets up safety rules, and teaches every worker and family member about possible dangers.

Common hazards of Farm Safety

As part of a complete safety management plan for a farm, it is essential to find and analyse these risks and take steps to reduce or eliminate them. This could mean giving safety training, using personal protective equipment, doing regular risk assessments, and making plans for what to do in an emergency.

There are many potential hazards to farm safety, including:

1. Machinery Hazards: Incorrect usage of heavy machinery and equipment, such as tractors and harvesters, poses a substantial danger of injury or death.

2. Chemical Hazards: Exposure to chemicals, such as pesticides and fertilisers, can cause severe health issues, including skin and eye irritation, respiratory problems, and even cancer.

3. Livestock Hazards: Handling livestock like cattle and horses can be physically demanding and carries the risk of animal attacks or kicks.

4. Slips, trips, and falls: Wet or uneven surfaces, such as muddy fields or cluttered work areas, can increase the likelihood of slips, trips, and falls, resulting in sprains, fractures, or head injuries.

5. Fatigue: Agricultural work frequently entails long hours and physically demanding tasks, increasing the likelihood of fatigue-related accidents and diseases.

6. Environmental hazards include chemical spills, fires, and soil erosion caused by agricultural activities.

7. Stress and mental health: Agricultural work can be stressful and isolating, thereby increasing the risk of mental health problems like depression and anxiety.

Most common Farm Injuries 

Agricultural workers, who tend crops and take care of animals, usually do their jobs outside in all kinds of weather.

It’s hard work to work on a farm. Most jobs require hard work for long hours in conditions that aren’t always the best. Some farm jobs are more accessible now because of machines and other innovations. Still, new tools and methods also pose unknown risks.

One of the most dangerous jobs in Australia is farming. Some of the most dangerous things for farm workers are heavy equipment, heights, harmful chemicals, and more.

Different things can lead to injuries in agriculture. After an accident on a farm, you should look into all your legal options to ensure you get the total amount of money you deserve.

Most farm injuries are caused by using machinery, coming into contact with animals, falling, or being exposed to dangerous chemicals. By knowing about these common injuries in agriculture and taking the correct safety steps, farmers can reduce the chance of getting hurt and make their workplaces safer and healthier. Here are some of the most common agricultural injuries including:

1. Amputations: Injuries caused by the entanglement of limbs in machinery or other equipment.
2. Crush injuries: Injuries caused by heavy equipment, such as tractors, falling on workers.
3. Animal attacks: Injuries caused by contacts with livestock, such as bites and kicks.
4. Falls: Injuries caused by falls from heights, such as from ladders or roofs.
5. Chemical exposure: Injuries caused by exposure to hazardous chemicals, such as pesticides and fertilisers.
6. Cuts and lacerations: Injuries caused by sharp objects, such as knives or broken glass.
7. Burns: Injuries caused by heat or fire, such as welding or hot liquids.
8. Back injuries: Injuries caused by repetitive lifting, bending or twisting.

Making your farm safety workplace

To make a farm a safer place to work, you need to put in place a farm safety management plan that covers all of the risks and hazards on the farm. Here are some steps to help make your farm a safer workplace:

• Identify and evaluate hazards. Do a full risk assessment of your farm to find all possible dangers, such as machinery, chemicals, animals, slips, trips, and falls, as well as environmental dangers.

• Make a safety plan for the farm. Based on the evaluation, make a safety plan for the farm that outlines the steps you will take to remove or control the dangers you’ve found, such as using personal protective equipment (PPE), getting safety training, and coming up with emergency response plans.

• Provide safety training. Give all farm workers regular safety training that covers things like how to use equipment, how to handle chemicals, how to care for animals, and how to avoid falling.

• To keep employees from getting hurt, give them PPE like hard hats, safety glasses, hearing protection, and the right shoes and encourage them to use them.

• Set up safe work practices. To keep people from getting hurt, you should set up safe work practices for everything you do on the farm, such as using machinery, handling chemicals, and working with animals.

• Regularly examine and maintain equipment. Check and fix up all machinery and equipment on a regular basis to make sure it works well and doesn’t pose any risks.

• Encourage a culture of safety: Create a culture of safety on the farm by encouraging open communication and telling everyone how important farm safety is.

By following these rules, you can make the farm a safer and healthier place to work for everyone who works there.

Draw up an emergency plan

Creating an emergency plan for farm safety means figuring out what kinds of emergencies could happen on the farm and how to handle them quickly. By following these steps, you can create an effective emergency plan for farm safety that will help keep workers safe and minimise the impact of emergencies on the farm. The following stages will assist you in creating an emergency plan for farm safety:

1. Identify potential emergencies: Identify potential emergencies that may occur on the farm, such as fires, chemical spills, machinery accidents, and medical emergencies.

2. Assign roles and responsibilities: Give people specific roles and responsibilities for responding to emergencies, such as a designated first aider, fire warden, and emergency coordinator.

3. Develop response procedures: Make detailed plans for how to respond to each type of emergency, such as how to evacuate, how to give first aid, and how to call emergency services.

4. Train workers: Provide regular training to all workers on the farm on the emergency plan and their specific roles and responsibilities.

5. Establish communication methods: Set up good ways to communicate, like two-way radios or cell phones, so that all workers can talk to each other quickly and easily in an emergency.

6. Test the plan: The emergency plan should be tested regularly to make sure it works and that everyone knows what to do.

7. Review and update: Regularly review and update the emergency plan to take into account any changes on the farm or in emergency response procedures.

Professional health and safety services

In Victoria, Australia, there are many professional health and safety services that can help businesses manage and improve health and safety at work. These services can include:

• Consultants: Health and safety consultants offer a range of services, including risk assessments, safety audits, and the development of health and safety management systems.

• Training providers: Training providers offer a range of health and safety courses, including general safety awareness, specific skills training, and management training.

• Safety equipment suppliers: Safety equipment suppliers can provide a range of personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety products, such as hard hats, safety glasses, and hearing protection.

• Industry associations: Industry associations, such as the National Safety Council of Australia, provide information, resources, and support to businesses on health and safety issues.

• Government agencies: Government agencies, such as WorkSafe Victoria, provide guidance and support to businesses on health and safety compliance and can assist with the development of health and safety policies and procedures.

By using these professional health and safety services, businesses in Victoria can improve their health and safety performance and create a safer and healthier workplace for their workers.

Can I sue for agricultural injuries in Australia?

Yes, you could possibly file a lawsuit in Australia if you were hurt while working in agriculture. If you get hurt in an agricultural setting, you may be able to file a claim for compensation under the relevant workers’ compensation scheme or, in some cases, under common law.

In Australia, workers’ compensation is a system that pays workers who get hurt on the job, no matter who is at fault. If you get hurt while working in agriculture, you may be able to get money from the workers’ compensation program in your state or territory.

If you are not covered by workers’ compensation or if your injury was caused by the carelessness of a third party, you may be able to make a claim for compensation under common law. To do this, you would have to show that the third party was at fault and that their carelessness caused you to get hurt.

If you were hurt on a farm and want to file a claim for compensation, you should talk to a lawyer as soon as possible to find out what your rights are and what you can do. A personal injury lawyer can help you through the claims process and get you the money you deserve.