Vic farmers advised to prioritise safety during the harvesting season

Quick answer: Victorian primary producers should prioritise safety for the busiest weeks of the crop calendar — rostering around adequate breaks, inspecting plant before each day begins, and treating fatigue management as a genuine hazard control rather than a paperwork task.

• Roster operators so recovery time and adequate breaks are guaranteed, not optional.
• Conduct safety checks regularly on headers, augers, chaser bins and towed implements.
• Build suppression gear and a water cart into fire risk management controls.
• Agree on check-in times whenever someone is alone in a paddock or loading at grain sites.

WorkSafe is emphasising the importance of safety for Victorian primary producers as they enter the harvest season.

The safety regulator observes that the harvest period frequently places greater demands on both producers and their machinery, owing to the warmer weather and the pressure to operate for extended hours at an accelerated pace.

WorkSafe's Chief Health and Safety Officer, Sam Jenkin, said fatigue, along with incidents involving plant and machinery, continues to be a major factor contributing to occupational injuries on farms. Many of these incidents occur when experienced farmers are carrying out routine tasks alone.

“We know that fatigued workers are at a higher risk of serious incidents, particularly while working alone with machinery, making rest and focus even more important during the demands of the harvest season,” Mr Jenkin said.

“The result can be deadly when workers don’t have enough time to recover each day, especially for older farmers whose physical capabilities may have changed over time.”

Why harvest in Victoria demands sharper fatigue management

Long daylight hours, narrow weather windows and unexpected breakdowns push shifts past a sustainable limit. Recovery rarely happens inside a cab, and drowsiness accumulates across consecutive days until judgement slips at precisely the wrong moment.

Sensible workload management for a busy season includes:

• Setting a ceiling on daily work hours before the first paddock is opened.
• Rotating operators through less demanding duties, with real rest between shifts.
• Scheduling meals and hydration stops instead of skipping them for one more load.
• Watching solo or older operators closely, since physical capacity changes over time.

Plant and equipment management before the first load

Pre-season inspections catch guarding faults, worn bearings, loose driveline covers and hot spots that later become injuries or ignition sources. Servicing records also give agriculture businesses evidence that maintenance was completed before the pressure arrived.

• Replace missing guards with fittings that meet relevant Australian standards.
• Confirm isolation and lock-out procedures are understood by every operator.
• Blow down engine bays, radiators and belts daily to limit residue build-up.
• Verify reversing alarms, mirrors and cameras all function correctly.
• Log defects in a fault management register and repair them before further use.

A digital Job Safety Analysis (JSA) template records hazard controls for individual tasks and keeps risk management decisions visible to everybody on the property. Grain augers, silos and shed circuits also warrant an electrical safety policy that covers overhead lines and temporary leads.

Ignition risk and emergency management during harvesting

Dry stubble, grain dust and hot exhausts create ignition potential from mid-morning onwards. Producers should monitor the Grassland Fire Danger Index, follow Country Fire Authority advice, and stop harvesting once conditions exceed agreed thresholds.

• Carry serviced fire extinguishers on every header, tractor and utility.
• Position a filled water cart within reach of the paddock being cut.
• Share an emergency management contact list with family members and contractors.
• Consider avoiding areas of dense stubble through the hottest part of an afternoon.

OHS duties, compliance and management responsibilities in agriculture

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic), employers must provide and maintain systems of production that are safe and without risks to health, so far as is reasonably practicable. Duty holders across agriculture carry obligations toward relatives, seasonal staff, contractors and visitors alike.

Satisfying those OHS obligations means demonstrable compliance, not good intentions. Regulators expect documented safe work practices, induction records, and management sign-off confirming that hazard controls were verified.

For further context on the regulator's seasonal messaging, read our earlier coverage of harvest season safety advice for farmers.

Building harvest management into your OHS system

A documented plan converts scattered habits into repeatable management practices. Bring paperwork out early, revisit incidents from last season, then adjust controls before the header rolls.

Checklist: management steps before, during and after the season

• Before: finalise plant inspections, confirm insurance, and update the traffic management layout for trucks entering grain sites.
• During: hold short daily briefings so management decisions about shift length are shared openly.
• During: issue two-way radios and set agreed check-ins for solo operators — a simple communication management control.
• After: complete a management review of near misses while memories remain fresh.
• Ongoing: keep contractor management records, licences and competency evidence current.
• Ongoing: store procedures within a single safety management system so documents stay findable.

Enclosed handling points, elevators and augers also deserve dedicated dust management measures, since suspended particles ignite readily. Cloud-based safety software makes inspections, briefings and corrective actions traceable from a phone in the paddock.

Moving grain safely off the property

Cartage adds another layer of exposure once bins fill. Drivers should plan trips, secure loads correctly and allow for rest, much like the guidance in our article on how truck operators can plan journeys and prioritise safety across peak travel periods. Extended wet spells bring separate hazards, covered in our piece on wet weather driving precautions.

Farm safety is a leadership decision

Because agriculture remains among Australia's most hazardous industries, visible management commitment matters more than signage. Producers who slow down, share the load and document controls finish the season with a full silo and everyone intact.

Need help getting started? Our support team can point you toward templates suited to your property and operations.

Learn more here.