General News

1 August, 2024

Better regulations would cut workplace deaths

A Wimmera farmer is eager to promote a farm-safety plan he believes will cut farmer workplace deaths.

By Faye Smith

Ross Johns is calling for uniform national WorkSafe rules.
Ross Johns is calling for uniform national WorkSafe rules.

Ross Johns is calling for uniform national WorkSafe regulations and notification to all farmers and farm managers within two weeks of all farm-related serious incidents, hospitalisations, near misses and deaths.

Agriculture employs two per cent of Victoria's workforce but results in 14 per cent of work-place fatalities. It also accounts for about $80 billion or $20 per cent of Australia's exports.

"A farmer is three times more likely to die in their job than workers in any other industry," he said.

Mr Johns, from Crymelon, has renewed his efforts following the tragic deaths of three district farmers in close succession, including close friend Mick Morcom, 61, who died when a large self-propelled auger tipped, killing him instantly.

He said most deaths on farms involved mobile plant and farm vehicles but this outcome could be lowered with a few administrative changes.

The current WorkSafe system of blaming or allocating legal responsibility after a workplace death or serious incident was not an effective deterrent.

Publicity following a death is too late, he said.

"Employ the three best occupational health and safety officers in Australia to oversee a team of agricultural liaison officers," Mr Johns said.

"Establish a national Australian Farm Safety Bureau to investigate and collect information on every agriculture-related fatality, hospitalisation and near miss.

"Then issue Safety Alerts to every farm owner and farm manager in Australia within two weeks of the incident.

"Quality information to people capable of taking action to substantially reduce the risk will benefit government, agriculture, insurance companies and individuals involved in agriculture."

Mr Johns estimates a budget of $50 million funded jointly by industry and government would cover costs.

He said employers had a duty under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 to provide and keep a safe working environment that is without risks to health, provide and maintain safe plant and work systems that are safe and without risk to health, and to provide employees with information, instruction, training or supervision.

It was also necessary to identify workplace hazards.

He said talks with BHP worksafe team revealed that workplace safety information was collected on a no-blame basis in order to reduce further risk to its 80,000 employees.

Mr Johns is a long-time VFF member and former member of the Australian Barley Board and Grain Research and Development Corporation.

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