Published: 07 October 2024
From growing up on his family's sheep, cattle and cropping farm to now responding to medical emergencies in the Swan Hill region, Tom has a unique perspective on the common myths around safety in agriculture and why they need to be busted.
"The biggest thing is that people think 'she'll be right mate', or 'things won't happen to me', which is a very common misconception that certainly I grew up with," Tom said.
"It's a shock for some people because you might go for generations without incident and then one day, out of the blue, something can go wrong with a job that's really routine and change people's lives forever."
By sharing his own experiences, Tom is hoping to help turn the tide of fatalities and serious injuries being suffered in farming workplaces.
"My view surrounding safety on farm changed through my work after going to not only farming incidents, but workplace incidents in general," he said.
“When it comes to incidents on farms, the first thing I think of is preventable, because for the most part, with a little bit more planning or the right safety gear, they could have been avoided and everyone could have gone home intact at the end of day."
Tom is adding his voice to WorkSafe's confronting farm safety campaign It's never you, until it is, which has returned to offer practical safety solutions for farmers and encourage conversations around safety.
Tragically, six work-related deaths have occurred in agriculture this year, taking the number of workplace deaths in the industry to 38 since 2020.
WorkSafe inspector Deb Domain said as the busy harvest season approached, now was the time to think about getting through it safely and efficiently.
"Stand back and think about what risks there are – if there is going to be fatigue, if you're going to have new workers that need to be inducted properly – even do a walkthrough with somebody, they might see something that you haven't seen before," she said.
"Consider what job you're doing, do your risk assessment and think about how you're going to best protect yourself and your livelihood."
Fatigue, working alone and with heavy machinery, increased vehicle traffic and working near overhead power lines are among the common risks at harvest time which can be managed with simple safety measures, including:
- Taking adequate breaks after each day so that you, your contractors and your workers have enough time to travel home, eat, relax and sleep before the next day begins.
- Having a system in place to stay in contact with isolated workers.
- Placing controls on traffic movement and keeping children away from work areas.
- Having appropriate guarding on machinery and shutting all machinery down before attempting to clear blockages and reinstating all guards before resuming work.
- Maintaining a safe distance from all power lines and not storing, loading or unloading items near overhead power lines. Inform your workers what to do if they hit a power line.
- Ensuring contractors and seasonal workers have an induction to the property and job, are consulted about safety issues and are competent in operating any machinery and to undertake their role safely.
WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin said the pressures of farming, especially at busy times like harvest, meant it could be easy to get caught in the mindset that the work must be done at all costs.
"No one can afford the human cost, the downtime and the financial burden that comes when safety is not a priority – fatalities and injuries on farms are preventable, not inevitable," Mr Jenkin said.
"Farming businesses with good safety cultures haven't got there by accident – it's important to talk to your workers and family, have safety at the front of your mind when planning for the work ahead and, if there's a risk, make changes."