As part of the Victorian Government’s commitment to address skills and safety issues in the agriculture sector, funding is being provided to the Victorian Farmers Federation to employ dedicated safety specialists to provide a range of services to farm businesses.
The VFF’s Making our Farms our Farms Safer Program is focussed on the following outcomes:
- greater access to farm safety support and resources;
- a higher level of awareness of the farm safety and wellbeing services provided by the VFF;
- a greater understanding of farm safety and wellbeing as well as farmers’ rights and responsibilities;
- the use of improved farm safety practices by farmers, their workers and families.
Our dedicated safety officers are some of the best in the industry, with broad ranging experience and a real desire to assist you to make your farm safer in a meaningful and practical way.
John Darcy, Senior Farm Safety Advisor
John is a highly experienced (33 years) safety and workers compensation practitioner with experience across multiple industry sectors having previously worked for the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) and the Master Builders Association of Victoria (MBAV).
John was directly involved in drafting of Victoria’s OHS and Workers Compensation Acts, Regulations and Codes and has years of stakeholder experience with regulators, employer groups and unions.
John has assisted a number of employers following critical workplace incidents. John will assist VFF members with safety and workers compensation advice.
Richard Versteegen, Farm Safety Advisor Officer
Richard has 35 years’ experience working in health and safety including helping employers to implement health and safety systems and 2 years advising the farming community.
Richard is a qualified and experienced health and safety auditor who has audited some of the country’s biggest employers.
Richard also works with small businesses to improve their knowledge and understanding of how to comply with their OHS responsibilities and has developed audit tools for a variety of agricultural commodity areas, a number of small business industry sectors and workers compensation and injury management.
John can be contacted on 0432 156 223 and Richard can be contacted on 0499 772 472.