SafeWork invites women involved in agriculture in Wagga to engage their creative talents

SafeWork NSW is hosting a free "Chat and Create" event in Wagga this week, aimed at women in the agricultural sector. The safety regulator says this initiative provides an opportunity for women to connect with fellow agricultural professionals and share their insights regarding safety practices on farms.

"Farmers and workers in agricultural workplaces continue to be seriously injured and killed at higher rates than other industry sectors, with farming accounting for one in five worker deaths across the state," says SafeWork NSW.

What Is the Chat and Create Event?

The 'Chat and Create' event offers a chance for participants to engage in artistic creation while representatives from SafeWork address safety concerns pertinent to farming and agricultural industry sectors. Women involved in agriculture and forestry workplaces gain a relaxed setting to discuss risk factors specific to regional operations.

SafeWork NSW delivered agricultural safety workshops across several regional centres previously, and this Wagga session continues that broader commitment to reducing risk within farming communities. Organisers built the gathering in partnership with local agricultural networks who understand the unique risk profile faced by women working across paddocks, sheds, and machinery yards.

Why Agriculture Safety Remains a Pressing Concern

Agriculture ranks among the most hazardous sectors in New South Wales, with incident rates outpacing most other industry categories. Reducing risk in this industry requires ongoing dialogue, practical resources, and consistent engagement between regulators and the people working the land.

SafeWork NSW encourages employers to review their standard safe operating procedures for agriculture and ensure documented safety systems reflect current farm conditions. Businesses seeking structured guidance can also explore agriculture safety packages designed to support compliance across multiple risk areas, including plant, chemical handling, and manual tasks.

Building Stronger Safety Networks in Regional Communities

Events such as this one give women a platform to raise concerns that might otherwise go unspoken in male-dominated industry settings. Sharing lived experience helps identify gaps in current safety resources and highlights where additional support services are needed most.

SafeWork NSW previously partnered with Essential Energy on related safety initiatives, reflecting a pattern of collaboration between regulators, utilities, and industry bodies to strengthen outcomes for regional workers. This agriculture lunch and learn series builds on that model by bringing safety conversation directly into community spaces rather than formal training rooms.

Where to Find Support and Resources

Farmers seeking additional safety resources should note that SafeWork NSW will host further sessions throughout the year as part of ongoing efforts to lower workplace harm across the sector. Health and wellbeing support also form part of the broader conversation, since physical safety and mental health are closely linked in high-pressure farming environments.

For businesses wanting to strengthen documentation alongside these community initiatives, SafetyDocs offers an agriculture SWMS pack covering common on-farm tasks, along with targeted templates such as the cleaning without adequate ventilation SafeWork method statement for tasks involving confined or poorly ventilated spaces.

Readers can find further coverage of regulatory activity in our recent news update on SafeWork targeting Wagga worksites for inspection, plus related news from Western Australia in our piece on WorkSafe WA's invitation for submissions to the agriculture industry inquiry. For broader workplace culture news, see our article on how SafeWork NSW urges companies to foster an R U OK? culture in their work environments.

To find out more about this Wagga event and future safety services available to agricultural workers, go to the SafeWork NSW website.