Farm safety must be a priority

Farm safety should take priority on sites across the country, which means addressing the issue not only with workers, but those who live on the premises as well.

This is according to the National Farmers' Federation (NFF), which explained how safe practices need to form a part of everyday conversation.

Charles Armstrong, chair of the NFF Workforce Productivity Committee, noted how there are several practical steps that farmers can take to make sure their family and friends are safe and secure.

Aside from taking out farm liability insurance, Mr Armstrong highlighted how there are various choices that can be made to make agricultural premises safer places to be.

For example, workers should always make sure they wear helmets while on bikes and horses. Not only this, passengers should never be carried on any farm machinery.

Farmers are also advised to make sure keys are never left unattended in cars, bikes or tractors and to make sure children stay away from quad bikes and ute trays.

Ensuring kids know about the hazards on farms is essential, which means supervising them wherever possible and not leaving them unattended at any time.

"There are many potential dangers on farms, whether this be tractors, quad bikes, livestock, farm chemicals, dams, physical work over long hours, or sometimes, just the stress of running a business and keeping it afloat," Mr Armstrong noted.

There's been a decline in farm fatalities over recent years, falling from an average of 146 to just 59 in 2013. However, the NFF is warning that this figure is still too high, especially given that around 20 per cent of these incidents involve children.

Farmers are advised to take a step back and analyse the risk they face with everyday farm activities, which includes people who work and live on site, as well as those who might be visiting for whatever reason.