FARMING is vital to keep food on the plates and the economy ticking over, so keeping safe has never been more critical.
Swan Hill farmers can learn about farm safety on September 14 with the Victorian Farmers Federation Making our Farm Safe project.
The project is a farm safety education and support service for farmers.
Since the project commenced in 2020, it has conducted more than 200 farm safety visits, delivered 20 newsletter editions and over 60 events (online and in-person), and launched a dedicated farm safety website. Services also extend to supporting farmers following workplace accidents on farm.
On the website ,you can access a library of safety resources for free download, such as the Hazardous Chemical and Storage Guidebook, Telehandler Safety Handbook and the recently released Child Safety on Farms handbook.
Online resources act as a toolkit to complement the farm safety advisory services as offered by the project.
The website also provides a booking function for farm safety consults and general enquiries, and a subscription opt-in to the monthly newsletter.
Farm safety advisers with the project are not regulators. They provide confidential support to farmers wanting to better understand or implement OHS on their farms.
When advisers meet with farmers, they provide a selection of resources and tools that help farmers do this, such as induction proformas, house-keeping checklists and OHS policies. The project is a free service available to all farmers in Victoria.
Have a chat with farm safety adviser John Darcy at the Swan Hill Farm Safety Briefing, on September 14 at 12.30pm at the Commercial Hotel. Reservations can be made through Eventbrite or by emailing mofs@vff.org.au.
The VFF Making Our Farms Safer project is funded by the Victorian Government Smarter, Safer Farms commitment to improve safety and skills outcomes for Victorian farmers.
To learn more, visit www.makingourfarmssafer.org.au
