National Agriculture Day recently came with an important reminder for ag workers to ‘play it safe’ and review their safety practices, with agriculture one of Australia’s most dangerous industries.
Australian Institute of Health and Safety (AIHS) chief executive officer Julia Whitford said the agricultural industry was unique in the number of safety challenges workers must manage, which can impact physical and mental health.
Safe Work Australia statistics showed the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sector is ranked number two on the list of industries with the greatest number of worker fatalities in 2024, with 30 deaths so far this year.
“Over the past five years we’ve seen an average of 38 deaths a year in agriculture, forestry and fishing, and any death is one too many,” Ms Whitford said.
“Ag workers face a range of hazards that they must mitigate every day.
“Among the risks is the operation of heavy equipment, being struck by an animal, handling chemicals, exposure to weather and dust, slips, trips and falls, and vehicle accidents, including those involving tractors and quad bikes.”
Data reveals fatal quad bike accidents and rollovers were on the rise, with 18 deaths recorded so far in 2024, up 38 per cent on last year and 63 per cent on 2022.
“To help bring those numbers down, we encourage ag workers to do a registered quad bike training course, install a crush protection device, ride on familiar tracks, and avoid riding in bad weather, on rough terrain and on steep slopes wherever possible,” Ms Whitford said.
As well as physical risks, there are considerable psychological safety challenges due to high stress seasonal pressures like intense periods of planting, harvesting, shearing, lambing, felling, fishing, or calving.
“Agriculture is key to Australia’s economy, but unfortunately the long hours ag workers put in often go unrecognised, and they have little to no control over variables like the weather, disease or market conditions, making for an unpredictable and stressful work environment,” Ms Whitford said.
“Working in remote and regional locations also affects access to healthcare.
“We urge our hard-working ag workers to review and update their safety procedures to best protect their physical and psychological health.”
