Free farm assessments to help Gayndah/Mundubbera growers work safer
Fruit and vegetable growers in the Gayndah/Mundubbera region will receive free practical advice on managing work health and safety during a series of on-farm assessments by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.
Inspectors will be visiting the area from 6-10 July, working with growers to identify ways of making their operations safer and more productive.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland head, Dr Simon Blackwood said that improving safety in the state’s agricultural industry was a priority because it had a disproportionally high incidence of serious injuries and fatalities.
“There are around 1700 workplace injuries in the agricultural industry each year,” Dr Blackwood said.
“This means one in every 25 agricultural workers will be injured at work and one in every 35 seriously injured. Injuries to workers on fruit and vegetable farms are higher still. That is just not acceptable – everyone is entitled to a work environment that lets them return home safely each day.”
Dr Blackwood said that although hazardous manual tasks accounted for 20 per cent of injuries in the industry, the assessments will focus on safety across the board. This will include harvesting and packing, staff induction and training, the safe use of quad bikes, how tractors are being used, chemicals handling and storage, and electrical safety near overhead power lines.
Consultation between growers, contractors and workers on safety matters will also be assessed.
To help growers prepare for the assessments, a guide on managing safety in the agricultural industry is available which includes templates for farmers to develop a safety management system. Serious about farm safety highlights common hazards on farms and provides guidance on managing the risks they present.
For more information about the assessments and to download Serious about farm safety visit worksafe.qld.gov.au.