A FARM safety workshop was recently delivered to Punjabi orchardists in Shepparton after statistics revealed two people are injured on Victorian farms every day.  

The workshop was led by Agriculture Victoria and the Making our Farms Safer team from the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) in the hope of spreading messages of farm safety.

Agriculture Victoria horticulture industry development manager, Angie Grills said Agriculture Victoria and the VFF were keen to promote farm safety to a broader farming audience.

“We are launching several videos interviewing members of the Punjabi community, sharing their journey to making their farming enterprises safer for everyone,” she said.

“As workplaces, horticulture properties can raise multiple safety challenges due to the complexity of their operations.

Ms Grills said farm accidents made up 14 per cent of workplace fatalities despite the sector only employing two per cent of working Victorians, which prompted the organisation to initiate conversations about industry safety.

“We have recorded interviews with three horticulture growers in the Goulburn Valley to ensure that safety in the industry is prioritised,” she said.

“We are hopeful these videos will encourage other growers in the sector to consider their current farm practices for the safety of their workers and family’s.

“In these videos, Punjabi orchardists talk about the actions they have taken to make their workplaces safe, including working with WorkSafe to complete audits and bringing their operations up to date.”

Making our Farms Safer is funded by the Victorian Government to provide all Victorian farmers with free support and resources to improve health and safety on farms.

The Victorian Government is supporting farm businesses to make practical changes to their workplaces by improving the sector’s focus on safety.

More information can be found at go.vic.gov.au/ucfDrS.