Safety must be the number one priority when working on and around farms, says Ian Halliday.
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The Dairy Australia managing director said farm safety was a matter for the entire industry to address.
Mr Halliday’s comments followed the launch of Dairy Australia’s online farm safety resource on Thursday.
The Farm Safety Starter Kit was developed and released to coincide with National Farm Safety Week and enables farmers to check for potential hazards and risks on their property.
“We must try to ensure everyone thinks ‘safety’ before starting on a job,” Mr Halliday said.
The kit also has a Safety System Snapshot, which will enable farmers to check their systems against current laws and requirements.
Mr Halliday said it was a good time to focus on how future work-related deaths, injuries and illnesses could be avoided.
“Unfortunately, 2016 has been a horror year for deaths on dairy farms. Five people have died already and we are only half way through the year,” he said.
“By raising awareness of work health and safety and taking action we can help prevent further injuries and deaths.
“We need to work together to change mindsets and behaviour to ensure these tragedies don’t continue to haunt the dairy industry.”
Australian Dairy Farming president David Basham said a culture shift was required within the industry.
“Dairy farms are not typical workplaces,” he said.
“Farm life in some of our key dairy regions, is very stressful at the moment.
“We need to lead the industry in prioritising health, safety and well-being.”
Mr Basham said the cost of setting up a practical farm safety system was minimal.
He said no money would ever replace a person.
