Farm deaths top 2016 work fatality list

WorkSafe Victoria has unveiled its workplace fatality figures for 2016 and has described the number as "horrific".

According to the organisation, a total of 26 people lost their lives at work in Victoria last year, the highest since 2009.

"Tragically, 26 Victorian workers did not make it home safely at the end of the day and their families didn’t get to celebrate Christmas and New Years with their loved one,” says WorkSafe’s Executive Director of Health and Safety, Marnie Williams.

"Twenty-six fatalities in a single year is horrific. It can never be acceptable that any worker in Victoria dies just because they are doing their job."

Out of the 26 deaths recorded:

According to the figures, the agriculture and construction sectors accounted for almost 58 per cent of fatalities.

Williams says inspectors made more than 46,000 visits to workplaces across the state last year and will continue to target high-risk sectors in 2017.

However, she says employers still hold the biggest responsibility in keeping their workers safe.

"The consequences of failing to prioritise safety can be catastrophic. As well as the devastation suffered by families and friends, a workplace fatality has an enormous impact on colleagues and, ultimately, the business itself as it is the employer who will face the courts should there be a serious incident."

Williams adds employers and staff should communicate regularly about safety issues to prevent any avoidable mishaps.

“As Victorians begin a new working year, every employer and employee must do everything they can to keep their workplace safe.

"Employers need to constantly reassess the work their employees are undertaking to ensure what they are doing and how they are doing it is safe.

"Employees need to do the same thing, and speak up if they see something that concerns them.

"If everyone does this, together we can strive to make 2017 a fatality-free year."