Victorian farmers advised to remain vigilant of the dangers of fatigue during high-risk periods

Victorian farmer Jack Armstrong is urging farm workers to engage in crucial discussions about health, safety, and fatigue management during this potentially high-risk period in agriculture.

WorkSafe statistics indicate that agriculture experiences the highest number of workplace fatalities in March and November, coinciding with the sowing and harvest periods that are usually very busy.

Jack pointed out that based on his own experiences; he acknowledged the significant impact fatigue could have in causing work-related incidents on farms.

"There are some horror stories of people having massive incidents. A farmer near here was bailing one night after working massive hours and they crashed the tractor into a power pole. He ended up being okay but the machinery was toast. It's having stories like that in the back of your mind that you need to learn from," Jack said.

"It's just a shame that it takes something bad to happen to create some good – you'd prefer to be proactive rather than reactive."

Read more here.