Media Release: Farm safety front and centre

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

National Farm Safety Week is underway and acts as a reminder of the many dangers involved in farming and the need to protect our farmers and farm workers the best we can.

This year's Farm Safety Week is based on the theme ‘Recipes for Averting Disaster’. It focuses on the intangible risks and hazards that are faced every day on Australian farms and how we can work to reduce these risks through raising awareness of them and discussing their impacts on our daily working lives.

Head of Agriculture and Food Policy and Research at the department, Rosemary Deininger said ensuring the safety of farmers was a priority for the department, and Farm Safety Week was an opportunity to continue this conversation.

"Our farmers are some of the best in the world due to their hard work and dedication. Working as hard as they do, their own well-being is not always made a priority," Ms Deininger said.

"12 fewer farmers died on Australian farms in 2021 compared to 2020 and 2019, according to Farmsafe Australia’s 2022 Safer Farms Report.

"The report stresses that while this is a significant step forward, 46 farmer deaths in 2021 is a tragedy.

"That's why it's so important that we continue to innovate and improve our technologies and raise awareness of farm safety, so that we can reduce the number of accidents on our farms.

"We want to ensure that farm-safe behaviours are instilled into current farmers and the next generation of farmers to further reduce the risk of injuries and accidents.

"Improvements in farm safety will be key to building a stronger and more profitable agriculture industry as we work to grow the sector to $100 billion by 2030."

National Farm Safety Week runs from 18–22 July and aims to raise awareness of farm safety issues in rural communities across Australia.

For more information about Farm Safety Week, visit https://www.farmsafe.org.au