Farm safety improvements lauded

Safe Work Australia chief executive officer Rex Hoy has commended Farmsafe Australia for their work to improve farm safety at a symposium at Parliament House last week.

Held on the final day of Safe Work Australia Month, community groups, farming organisations, industry, unions and researchers attended the symposium which featured presenters from both Australia and New Zealand.

"Safe Work Australia was pleased to support the Farmsafe Symposium," Mr Hoy said. "There was a high level of commitment by presenters and attendees to improve safety and keep Australian farmers and their families safe.

"During Safe Work Australia Month we saw how much dedication exists across the nation to improve work health and safety, not just in the agriculture industry but in all industries.

"It was fitting the last day of Safe Work Australia Month focused on Australia's most dangerous industry."

A record 891 people registered as Safety Ambassadors this Year and held events in workplaces across Australia. This is in addition to the thousands more who attended events, seminars and workshops hosted by Commonwealth, state and territory regulators as well as industry, business and unions.

While just 2.7 per cent of Australian workers are in the agriculture industry - 17 per cent of all worker fatalities are from this sector. Almost three quarters of deaths on Australian farms involved vehicles which are routinely used on farms like tractors, aircraft, utes and quad bikes.

The symposium covered a range of farm safety issues with a particular focus on quad bike safety. Researchers from the University of New South Wales provided an update on their current study examining the stability of quad bikes and the effectiveness of crush protection devices (CPDs). This also included computer modelling data further supporting the fitting of CPDs to quad bikes. New Zealand Coroner Brandt Shortland provided delegates with an international perspective on lessons Australia can learn from their coronial inquests.

"Improving farm safety and in particular quad bike safety requires a concerted effort from all parties," said Mr Hoy.

"I also urge manufacturers to work with us, listen to Australian research and the community and take action to improve safety for quad bike riders.

"Thanks to everyone who attended the symposium and again to Farmsafe Australia. It is through your efforts that we have seen a reduction in fatalities and injuries over the last decade.

"Safe Work Australia will continue to work with farmers, manufacturers, industry, community organisations, regulators and unions to improve farm safety."