Thursday 6th May 2021

Safety News Roundup: Thursday 6th May 2021

Today's safety news brings a powerful survivor story from a young farm worker alongside an update on wild dog control funding for western Queensland councils. Both stories carry lessons for safety professionals across construction, agriculture and regional industries.

Young Farm Worker Tells Story of Surviving an Electric Shock

When Jason Daniels was 17, he suffered horrific injuries from an electric shock after the grain auger he was moving connected with an overhead power line in Dalby.

Jason was placed in an induced coma for two weeks and faced a long road to recovery, including nine operations, skin grafts and a lot of physiotherapy learning to walk again. He said on the morning of the accident he was carting grain to the silo, "We started moving the auger, and I turned around to the boss and said 'we're getting too close to the overhead power line, I think we should lower it', and he goes, 'no, we don't have time' and kept going." "That's when we collided with the overhead power line."

Jason and his mother Di Daniels, tell their story to warn others and help young workers speak up if they have safety concerns. "It could have been all avoided is the hardest thing," Ms Daniels said.

The 8-minute film is part of a suite of safety films shown on worksites at pre-shift 'toolbox talks' and in safety meetings each working day. This account underscores why every workplace should maintain a current safe work method statement covering high-risk tasks near overhead powerlines.

The original story and access to the film can be found on the WorkSafe QLD website.

Councils Cluster Fencing Funded to Tackle Wild Dogs

The Remote Area Planning and Development Board (RAPAD) and five western councils in Queensland will receive $5 million from the Qld Government to help fight wild dogs.

Under the Queensland Feral Pest Initiative, recipients of the latest cluster fence funding shared by RAPAD are Goondiwindi Regional Council, Western Downs Regional Council, Paroo Murweh Shire Council and Balonne Shire Council.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who visited Barcaldine and Longreach with her cabinet, said the cluster fencing program has been incredibly successful to date.

Agriculture Minister Mark Furner said, "The money will support cluster fencing arrangements in drought-affected areas, including projects that complement existing activities, support the concept of shared responsibility and enhanced capability, awareness and accountability for longer-term management."

"Construction will support councils and landholders in creating regional jobs."

Read the full article on The Queensland Country Life website.

Why This News Date Matters for Safety Professionals

Stories published on this date remind us how quickly circumstances can change on a worksite, whether operating heavy machinery near power infrastructure or managing regional biosecurity projects. Reviewing incident news from a given date helps safety teams benchmark their own procedures against real-world outcomes.

For more coverage like this, catch up on our other safety bulletins, including Thursday 13th May 2021, Thursday 20th May 2021, and Thursday 27th May 2021 for further industry news updates.