National Farm Safety Week in full swing
This year’s campaign focuses on farmers’ safety through the agesNational Farm Safety Week is once again upon us and in 2021, the campaign aims to highlight the key safety issues and risks that are most prevalent throughout the different life stages of a farmer, in the hope it will reduce the risk of injury, illness and fatalities commonly associated with agriculture.
The week-long campaign is run by Farmsafe Australia and is themed ‘Farm Safety Through The Ages – From 2-92’ this year.
“Farmsafe Australia wants to ensure all farmers have access to information that keeps them and their families safe and healthy from when they first pick up an egg at the age of two, right through to stepping off a tractor at the age of 92,” the organisation said in a statement.
All of this week, Farmsafe will focus on a different age group each day and zone in on a topic that concerns that group the most. The groups and topics are:
- Ages 2 to 18– Children on farm and practices putting them at risk
- Ages 19 to 30 – Young workers and the myth around ‘young’ farm fatalities
- Ages 31 to 55 – Physical health and the need to ‘clock off’
- Ages 31 to 55 –Mental health and the need to speak up and seek help
- Ages 55 and above – Ageing on farm and the importance of setting a good example for everyone else to follow
Chair of Farmsafe Australia, Charles Armstrong, said the campaign is not about restricting families who live and work on farms, but is instead about embracing everything a life lived on the farm can offer while minimising the risk of injury.
“We are focused on making safer farms an intergenerational topic of conversation in every rural community,” he said.
“The number of farm related fatalities in this country has not shifted dramatically in a decade, so there has never been a more important time to discuss how we can make Australian farms a safer place to live and work.”
“By improving the availability of information on hazards, risk factors and practical safety solutions, we want to ensure all communication between agricultural representatives, farmers, government and other stakeholders is active, consistent and productive.
“It has never been more essential to develop a ‘safety culture’, while alleviating the pressures of farming life, across all generations within rural communities.”
Farmsafe Australia is urging people on the land to get involved by going to the National Farm Safety Week website, read the resources available and start conversations around safety with workers, friends and family who they work with and around.
Farmers are also urged to tune into Farmsafe’s social media channels to like and share their posts to spark conversations around farm safety.
National Farm Safety Week is running from July 18 to 24 this year, but Farmsafe Australia stressed that farm safety should be as important every other day of the year.
“This week serves as an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the risks and hazards that face our Australian farmers every day of their lives - while they produce the food and fibre for Australia and the rest of the world.”
RELATED READS:
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.