In its second year, leaders from across government and industry will come together to discuss the prevention of workplace fatalities and injuries in the agriculture sector.
Agriculture remains one of Australia’s most dangerous industries, with farm vehicles being the leading cause of fatalities and injuries. SafeWork NSW has responded to 12 workplace fatalities in 2024 alone.
Work health and safety minister Sophie Cotsis and agriculture minister, Tara Moriarty, will join Philip Donato, independent member for Orange, to explore prevention strategies. The roundtable will feature discussions on post-incident support while examining hazards identified by SafeWork NSW inspectors.
“Farm safety is extremely important, there are many hazards unique to agricultural work and it is paramount that workers have the correct protections in place to ensure they are safe at work,” said Moriarty.
“This roundtable is a great opportunity for agricultural industry members and workers to discuss hazard reduction and safety behaviour they have found to reduce workplace injury and death, and how these lessons can be applied across the industry.”
Hosted by SafeWork NSW, the event will focus on the daily risks faced by farmers, barriers to changing safety behaviours, and prevention strategies.
Prevention in Action is a dedicated session that will explore proven safety measures. This will be followed by a collaborative discussion on designing relevant and practical future initiatives. Attendees will include:
- Local agricultural employers.
- NSW Farmers.
- Unions.
- Academics.
- Government agencies.
- Country Women’s Association.
“There are more than 81,000 workers in NSW employed in agricultural industries, including farming, fishing, and forestry,” said Cotsis.
“Workers employed in agriculture are at greater risk of being killed or injured at work than most.
“Plant, machinery, vehicles and animals are the biggest dangers in agricultural workplace settings, and businesses and managers should ensure everyone who works in their business is provided with safe equipment and procedures as well as the right skills and supervision, to carry out their work safely.
“It is a fundamental right for every worker to go to their job and come home safely to their loved ones.”
The first agriculture roundtable was held in 2024 and formed the foundation for a more stable government and industry collaboration on farm safety.
With practical actions based on industry feedback, the initiative aims to raise awareness and improve safety outcomes.