The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) Making our Farms Safer Project (MOFS) is aiming to boost public awareness and highlight the on-farm risks for children through a new safety campaign.
VFF President Emma Germano said the launch of the ‘Making Our Farm Families Safer’ campaign coincides with National Farm Safety Week 2022 and will see a dedicated safety guidebook launched for farming families.
“The Australian agriculture industry sadly represents the highest proportion of accidents causing death in any workplace, with children tragically making up one quarter of these numbers.”
“We need to do all we can as an industry to ensure no one has to endure the heartbreak, pain, loss and emptiness that losing a child to a preventable on-farm accident results in,” Ms Germano said.
The campaign and guidebook is driven by findings of a 2021 Coronial Inquiry which revealed in the six-year period from 1 January 2016 to 21 December 2021, seven Victorian children died using farm machinery.
“I encourage all farmers to familiarise themselves with the Making Our Farm Families Safer campaign and guidebook, there isn’t an issue more important than this for farming families,” Ms Germano said.
The campaign and guidance book has been created by the VFF Making Our Farms Safer project, a farm safety education and support service for Victorian farmers, funded through the Victorian Government Smarter, Safer Farms commitment to improve safety and skills outcomes for Victorian farmers.
You can follow the Making Our Farm Families Safer campaign across all MOFS social media platforms or download a free copy of the guidebook at www.makingourfarmssafer.org.au