New initiative ensuring safety for Victorian farmers

A new campaign by WorkSafe is urging Victorian farmers to regard safety as an investment that not only protects lives but also boosts productivity and reinforces long-term success.

Short answer: WorkSafe Victoria has launched a $2.8 million awareness push telling all Victorian farmers that practical, low-cost upgrades save lives, cut downtime and strengthen returns across agriculture.

Campaign at a glance

• Name: ‘Safety – it does more than keep you safe’
• Value: $2.8 million
• Audience: Victorian farms, farming families, seasonal crews and industry suppliers
• Channels: Television, radio, print, outdoor advertising, digital placements and rural news bulletins
• Aim: Making our farms safer through affordable everyday fixes

What the campaign asks of farmers

Deputy Premier Ben Carroll unveiled the ‘Safety – it does more than keep you safe’ campaign, showcasing how easy safety upgrades can enhance the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of farms.

“It’s tragic to see farmers continuing to be overrepresented in workplace fatalities,” the deputy premier said.

“This campaign is about sharing the tangible benefits of simple safety improvements. I encourage those in the industry to look out for each other and share safety advice, knowledge and learnings, because it can make a difference.”

The $2.8 million initiative spans multiple platforms such as television, radio, print, outdoor advertising, digital platforms, and social media.

Why agriculture stays overrepresented in fatality figures

Agriculture records more fatal incidents per worker than almost any other sector. Figures published by Safe Work Australia repeatedly link quad bikes, tractors, livestock yards and the transport of grain with serious claims.

Fatigue at harvest, ageing plant and solo work compound every hazard. Under Victoria’s Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004, each operator owes a duty of care to employees, contractors, visitors and relatives who step onto the property.

Simple upgrades that make farms safer

Industry veterans agree low-cost controls give the quickest payback. Useful starting points include:

• Fitting operator protective devices to quad bikes and rollover bars to tractors
• Guarding power take-off shafts and augers before seeding begins
• Marking farm transport corridors so vehicles and pedestrians stay apart
• Locking chemical stores, then posting clear signage at each entry
• Installing lighting and slip-resistant surfaces around dairies, sheds and silos
• Documenting a farm safety policy so expectations stay consistent for every worker

Free farm safety visits and the education support service

WorkSafe offers free farm safety visits run through an independent education support service, giving owners confidential guidance without enforcement risk. Advisers walk paddocks, sheds and machinery bays, then rank suggested fixes by severity.

Rebates under the Making our Farms Safer Program help fund guarding, lighting and quad bike improvements, keeping farming safe and well resourced on smaller holdings. Information on eligibility sits with WorkSafe Victoria.

Emergency planning cannot wait

Every property needs an emergency plan naming who calls for help, where first aid kits sit, and how paramedics reach an injured worker in a distant paddock. Share gate access notes and GPS coordinates with local emergency services well before fire season.

Lessons borrowed from the transport industry

Good practice travels between sectors. Operators in the transport industry rely on fatigue rules, pre-start checks and separation zones that suit on-farm transport tasks just as neatly.

Reviewing transport-related incidents alongside industry data helps owners spot patterns early. Road interfaces deserve attention too, so transport safety planning should cover farm gate entries, stock crossings and cartage contractors — much like the controls behind this new initiative aimed at enhancing safety of Victorian road workers.

Protection pays: the productivity case

Industry leaders describe prevention as an investment rather than overhead. Fewer injuries mean fewer stand-downs, lower premiums, steadier output and better worker health.

Processors and buyers now ask about systems before signing supply agreements, so documented controls open doors right across the agriculture industry. Meeting industry-wide expectations early also shortens audits and tender responses.

Staying across safety news

Keeping up with safety news costs little yet pays back quickly. News of the launch travelled fast through regional broadcasters, while industry news services picked up the message within days.

Industry associations, rural news reports and WorkSafe alerts flag emerging hazards long before trouble arrives at your gate. Talking with industry peers at field days spreads hard-won lessons faster than any brochure.

The good news for operators: most controls cost less than one day of lost production. Trade news outlets regularly profile farms that cut injuries while lifting yields.

Where to find practical support

Industry groups, agronomists and neighbouring producers all help, though paperwork remains the sticking point for many operators. Our templates, built for agriculture workplaces, cover risk assessments, safe work method statements and a written safety policy document you can tailor within minutes.

Explore our safety guide for working on farms in Australia, plus the new safety guide for Victorian farming families. Trans-Tasman operators can review our safety documents for New Zealand businesses or complete New Zealand OHS/WHS management systems.

Read more here.