New report shows higher on-farm fatality and injury rates in 2022

The annual Safer Farms Report was released on Sunday as part of National Farm Safety Week, highlighting on-farm injury and fatality statistics in 2022 as well as the first half of 2023.

The report, launched by Farmsafe Australia, showed a worrying return to higher on-farm injuries and fatalities last year, with agriculture again ranking as the most dangerous Australian industry to work in.

Fifty-five farmers lost their lives on Australian farms in 2022 with tractors accounting for 20 per cent of these fatalities and quad bikes accounting for another 14 per cent.

Of the fatalities, 73 per cent were over 45 years of age and 93 per cent of fatalities were male.

The report also shows 18 per cent of on-farm injuries were suffered by children under 15 years of age. Over 87 per cent of farm-related injuries occurred in New South Wales and Queensland.

So far, there has been 19 deaths and 77 injuries recorded on farms in 2023.

This comes after a more positive year in 2021 where farm fatalities dipped under 50 (46, to be exact) for the first time in over a decade.

Farmsafe Australia said drastic measures needed to be taken to ensure injury and fatality numbers drop and stay low.

“We need more awareness, we need more education. We need long-term behavioural change,” the organisation said.

“That requires more resourcing and much more funding.”

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Murray Watt, said the report was a reminder that complacency was not an option.

“The agriculture sector only represents a small proportion of our workforce, but farmers and farm workers are frighteningly overrepresented in workplace injuries and deaths,” he said.

“Every year, the Farmsafe Safer Farms Report is a timely reminder of the risks and dangers of a life on the land, and no-one can afford to be complacent.

“While, tragically, children are represented in these statistics, we see a lot of older, experienced farmers who are injured or killed on the job.

“I want to see a future where accidents and deaths on farms go down to zero, and I thank Farmsafe for the work they do on this.”

This year’s Farm Safety Week campaign, ‘Stay on the Safe Side’, focusses on tractor, vehicle and machinery safety, in an effort to raise awareness of the alarming injury and fatality statistics attributed to these agents. The campaign also hopes to reinforce important safety messaging to help farmers create a safer working environment.

The underlying message of the campaign is that farmers and farm workers need to take ownership of their own safety by recognising that safety is a choice they make every day.

“Every time a farmer tackles a job on the farm, no matter how big or small, or how many times they’ve performed that job, they make decisions,” said Farmsafe Australia Chair, Felicity Richards, who is also a farmer herself.  

“They can choose to do it safely or they can choose to take unnecessary risks. That choice is influenced by how much time, money or labour they have at their disposal. By emphasising that safety is a choice, our hope is that farmers choose to stay on the safe side and protect themselves, their families, their workers and, ultimately, their farms.”

Throughout the week, Farmsafe Australia will touch on several trending safety topics and provide tips on how to navigate safety challenges. The topics include:

“A strong farm safety culture is the backbone of a strong and thriving agricultural community. It goes beyond policies and procedures; it is a shared commitment to the well-being of everyone on the farm,” Richards added.

“By fostering a culture where safety is ingrained in every action, decision, and interaction, we create an environment where incidents are prevented, lives are protected, and the future of farming is safeguarded.”

To view the Safer Farms Report 2023 and learn more about National Farm Safety Week, visit Farmsafe Australia's website.