QUEENSLAND WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY – QUEENSLAND DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND ATTORNY-GENERAL

This is a ‘Workplace Health and Safety’ activity update for Turf Queensland members.

Spike in Rural Fatalities Prompts Warning

Farmers and farm hands are urged to check their safety systems and work procedures for working with machinery and animals following three fatalities in just eight months.

The nature of working on-farm means that experience is no guarantee of safety. All three deaths since August 2011 involved unpredictable nature of farm work as a significant contributing factor.

All incidents involved men aged 45 to 68, including a truck driver, drover and grazier, with the most recent incident occurring in March at a private cattle yard in Thornton.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is urging all farm workers to check in on their safety practices.

No matter how long you have worked in a job or how familiar you think you are with your on farm job functions you need to stay alert to hazards.

Safety in farm practice and cattle handling depends heavily on the operator and the farm hand. Workers need to concentrate, be alert and take care when working with machinery, chemicals and around animals.

Further information

For more information, visit www.worksafe.qld.gov.au or call the Workplace Health and Safety Infoline on 1300 369 915.

Last updated 27 April 2012