A woman who had been working alone was found critically injured beneath farm machinery on a farm at Jack River, Gippsland last Wednesday morning. The 47-year-old was operating silage wrapping equipment. She was flown to hospital but later died from her injuries. WorkSafe is investigating.
Farms make up 14% of all workplace fatalities in Victoria, despite employing only 2% of working Victorians.
On average, 2 people are injured on Victorian farms every day. Some of the key risk factors for injury or death on farms are:
- Working long hours and in isolation
- Unsafe or unfamiliar equipment use
- Animal handling
- Electrical safety
In an effort to reduce the tragically high rate of deaths and injuries on farms, WorkSafe Victoria has rolled out part three of its culture change campaign “It’s never you until it is” focussing on farm safety. It will be live until 30 November 2024 across social media, digital channels, regional press, radio and television, with information available in multiple languages.
Read more - “It’s never you until it is. Every death on-farm is preventable. Find safety support for your farm at: www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/its-never-you-until-it”