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Jaynie Norman • October 11, 2021

Grain Central, October 11, 2021

LIKE many on the land, third generation sheep and cropping farmers Peter and Annette Lambert understand the dangers that can come with the job.

To help reduce those risks and grow their business, the Lamberts were keen to seek expert advice to put safety at the centre of the day-to-day operations at their farm and engineering consultancy in Meringur, far north-west Victoria.


Victorian sheep and cropping farmers Peter and Annette Lambert.

At the suggestion of close friends, the Lamberts called WorkSafe’s OHS Essentials program, where independent consultants provide free, confidential and personalised safety advice for small to medium businesses.

Mr Lambert said the decision not only gave them confidence that they were doing everything they could to keep themselves, their workers and their family safe, but had also helped to diversify and grow their business.

“You’re getting advice and you’re getting support and it steers you in the right direction because there are some things you just don’t know, or don’t see, or you’re not aware of,” Mr Lambert said.

“There’s a level of danger involved in much of the work we do around the property but you can help eliminate or control those risks by following the right procedures and doing things the safest way.”

As farms across the state prepare for a busy harvest season, OHS Essentials consultant Paul Livingstone said consultants like him were there to explain OHS regulations and help farmers develop safety systems suited to their business that could be put into practice every day.

“The OHS Essentials program is available for all farmers whether they have WorkCover insurance or not. It provides simple methods for protecting themselves and their employees,” Mr Livingstone said.

“The benefits for farmers are fewer injuries, less downtime and greater efficiency in generating their product.”

Fatigue, working alone and with heavy machinery, increased vehicle traffic and working near overhead powerlines are among the common safety risks at harvest time.

Simple safety measures to reduce those risks include:

  • Adequate breaks after each day so that you, your contractors and your workers have enough time to travel home, eat, relax and sleep before the next day begins.
  •  A system to stay in contact with isolated workers.
  • Controls on traffic movement and keeping children away from work areas.
  • Appropriate guarding on machinery and shutting all machinery down before attempting to clear blockages and reinstating all guards before resuming work.
  • Maintaining a safe distance from all powerlines and not storing, loading or unloading items near overhead powerlines. Inform your workers what to do if they hit a powerline.
  • Ensuring contractors and seasonal workers have an induction to the property and job, are consulted about safety issues and are competent in operating any machinery and to undertake their role safely.

In the 2020-21 financial year, 1120 businesses signed up to the free OHS Essentials program. Of those businesses, only 45 were in the agriculture sector.

OHS Essentials Consultants can confidentially assist farmers to identify hazards and injury risks on their farms; provide guidance on creating and maintaining a safe workplace; and work with farmers to develop practical safety action plans.

Source: WorkSafe Victoria

Video: WorkSafe’s OHS Essentials program



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