Projects and reports
Projects
Current programs of work:
- Child Safety on Farms
- Safety of Older Farmers
- Safety of Young People on Farms
- Safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Rural Workers
- Tractor and Machinery Safety
- All-terrain Vehicle Safety
- Vehicle Safety on Farms – development stage
- Improving Farm Family Health and Safety
- Farm Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
- Cardiovascular Health and Cancer Prevention – development stage
Yearly activities:
- National Farm Safety Week
Media releases
2018
- Farm Safety Report Card 2017, January 2018
2017
- Quad Bikes continue to dominate farm deaths, October 2017
- Saving kids on Farm, September 2017
- NSW Records Highest Deaths on Farm, June 2017
- Hospitalised injury in NSW: A geographic comparison, June 2017
- Farm injury deaths continue to impact rural communities, April 2017
- Farm Safety Needs Greater Attention, January 2017
2016
- Focus on farm safety, October 2016
- Managing Fatigue this Harvest , September 2016
- Safety Induction Videos, ACAHS & CRDC, August
- Victorian Rebate Will Saves Lives , July 2016
- Farm injury deaths increase, July 2016
- Farm Injury Mid Year Report 2016, July 2016
- NSW Raises the bar on farm safety, June 2016
Reports and publications – what’s available
Data and research
The National Farm Injury Data Centre collates information from various agencies on the incidence of injuries and fatalities that occur on farms across Australia. This data has been sought and utilised by farmers, students, health and safety researchers, as well as organisations relevant to farming, including state workplace health and safety authorities, farmer industrial representatives, Farmsafe Australia, and state and federal government departments.
AgHealth Australia has used the data to undertake projects that directly involve farmers, relevant industry and government parties to examine the information collated, formulate strategies and promote practices on how to effectively reduce farm injury and fatalities across Australia.
Examples of program outcomes can be seen in the form of papers and articles which reflect the research and academic component of each program. Some of the research has also resulted in amendments being made to legislation relevant to occupational health and safety for agriculture and recommendations being taken up by farmers and industry independently.
Practical material such as guidelines and advice for farmers that cover farm activities such as tractor rollovers, farm workshop safety, machinery guarding, All Terrain Vehicles, worker induction, chemical safety, and child safety.
Promotional material including posters, magnets, checklists, educational resources etc have been produced and are utilised across Australia by health workers, educators, and agencies such as Drought Support Workers and Rural Financial Counsellors.
As an example of the translation of research has been the implementation and availability of funding for the retro-fitment of Rollover Protective Structures Rebate Schemes (ROPS) that has been made available to eligible farmers by state work health and safety authorities in Victoria, NSW and Queensland. The rebate schemes provided financial incentives for farmers to fit rollover bars to tractors in a systematic approach to reduce the incidence of fatalities involving tractor rollovers.