A Werribee South agricultural educator is leading a collaboration project aimed at increasing safety on farms.
The Safety Learning Network, an initiative aimed at improving workplace health and safety on farms in Victoria, has been running for two years and has yielded several positive outcomes.
It is funded by WorkSafe and run by the Velisha Education Group (VEG) and ORM Consultancy and Communications, an agricultural consultancy group.
Since being adopted by 26 farms across the state, the arrangement has consisted of regular catch-ups and farm visits where safe systems of work and practical safety improvements were the main topics of conversation.
Among the ideas trialled were practical safety videos, the implementation of QR codes and streamlining the induction process for new and casual workers.
VEG managing director Catherine Velisha said farmers could often be reluctant to reach out for help which is where the collaborative nature of the network came in.
“Knowing people who are running the same business as you, doing the same roles as you and also having the same challenges and the same stresses – I think that gives real freedom and opens up conversation,” Ms Velisha said.
A third-generation farmer, Ms Velisha has expanded her small family-owned farming business into a modern agricultural organisation.
WorkSafe executive director of health and safety Sam Jenkin said conversations with fellow farmers were invaluable for preventing deaths and injuries.
“It takes courage to start those conversations and to reach out and seek advice when you need it – and nothing resonates more than connecting with people in a similar situation,” Mr Jenkin said.
Some of the key outcomes WorkSafe said the initiative produced were an increased awareness of occupational health and safety requirements, farmers taking a more proactive approach to consulting staff on safety issues, and a better integration of safety into daily farming operations.
The adoption of new communication tools like safety videos and the adoption of more detailed safety practices were also among the achievements.
The Safety Learning Network program is now undergoing an evaluation process to assess how it may run in the future.
