FARM bosses have an arsenal of novel ideas to improve work safety, says Kooloonong sheep and grain farmer and former farm consultant, Simon Craig.
From stocking fire bombs and defibrillators to downloading a smartphone app that alerts everyone if there’s an incident – there is no excuse to not prioritise safety on the farm.
“Victorian laws say we we can go to jail if there’s a workplace death. The best thing you can do is show intent to provide a good workplace, and do all the right things to keep workers safe,” Mr Craig said.
“If farmers put their hat on and are open to discussing farm safety, there are lots of little tips – novel things other farmers have done to prioritise farm safety.”
Now the Lemac Farm manager is adding his voice to a campaign to prioritise farm safety, in simple but effective ways.
“Predominantly what we’re dealing with in machinery or farming is we’re using heavier equipment, and some of it is quite old,” he said.
“We tend to work long hours, so fatigue is an issue, and because of the labour shortages we’re using foreign workers and backpackers.
“Their knowledge of equipment, lack of experience, and language issues can sometimes pose a pretty serious risk to themselves and to us as employers.”
Mr Craig studied agricultural science at La Trobe University, Bundoora, before managing the research program at Birchip Cropping Group for 10 years, then becoming a farm consultant, and now managing his wife’s family farm in Kooloonong.
“I returned to Birchip Cropping Group to go on their board, and at that time I realised that it’s the responsibilities of directors, board members, and organisations to be responsible for OHS and ensure staff are always safe,” he said.
Discussions around farm safety don’t have to be complicated or long-winded, Mr Craig said.
“Every Monday morning we sit down and chat as a group, and we discuss what happened last week – did anything go wrong?” he said.
“Those toolbox meetings are really handy for them to raise any concerns.”
He said simple things that took seconds to teach could be lifesaving for new workers.
“The way that we maintain being safe around the machinery, particularly the big ones like we’ve got here, is just to slow down,” Mr Craig said.
“Before you drive off, toot the horn, and have a good look around.
“And whenever we have a new staff member come into our place, we give them a full induction of how to use the equipment.”
Knowing where to start is really important for busy farm managers and, as a former consultant, Mr Craig knows the benefit of seeking expert advice.
“We actually approached the Victorian Farmers Federation, and then we also had interactions with WorkSafe,” he said.
“You might not notice those risks that are there, but they do – that’s their job.”
