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National Farm Safety Week

National Farm Safety Week

July 19 to 23 is National Farm Safety Week and the Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Bryan Green, has urged all Tasmanians to work towards a safer farm environment.

“The farm is not just a workplace for many Tasmanians, it is also a home, and any injury or death through accident can take a heavy toll on families and communities,” Mr Green said.

“There can also be large financial costs, with time off work, compensation payments and so on, that can affect not just households but whole rural communities.”

In its ninth year, Farmsafe Australia Inc’s National Farm Safety Week aims to raise awareness of farm safety issues in rural communities across Australia.

This year’s theme is “Safe Farming is Profitable”, which highlights the importance of business and industry working together to improve the well-being of Australian farmers through improved attention to health and safety.

Tasmania has recorded nine farm fatalities since 2007, and in addition to the human cost, farm productivity can be severely impacted by accidents.

Mr Green praised the work of the Tasmanian group Proactive Agricultural Safety Support Inc (PASS), a rural organisation with a clear understanding of the devastation caused by farm accidents that works to achieve zero fatalities in rural workplaces.

PASS supports Farm Safety Week events such as the “Safety made Simple” forum at Deloraine on 20th July and the Rural Careers Expo – “Safe Futures” at Longford on 22nd .

“Farm safety issues are important throughout the year and the most common causes of trauma and fatalities for farmers, employees and their families include accidents with quad bikes (ATVs), tractors, chainsaws and farm chemicals,” Mr Green said.

The Tasmanian Skills Institute offers training courses throughout the year in Occupational Health and Safety for Owners/Managers.

“They also run specific training in the use of ATVs, chainsaw and farm chemicals as well as training in working at heights and in confined spaces, which are also important for some farm businesses,”he said.