With a stint working on cattle stations, and his experience in transport and logistics under his belt, Jonathan Langan (aka Jonno) discusses some considerations for both farm employees, as well as owners, to reduce their risk when it comes to farm safety.
Living in this new age of inductions, AI (the intelligence kind, not insemination) and online meetings, it shouldn’t really be a surprise to learn things flow into rural areas a little more slowly (in most cases for the better). However, one area which could potentially be improved in your enterprise is the protection of both employees and employer when it comes to safety. Fortunately, there is a great (online) library of resources available via WorkSafe to assist farming businesses to be aware of the risks and reduce hazards: https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/worksafe/hazard-information-farms.
In farming environments there can be an immense variation between the levels of understanding or experience from one employee to the next and, consequently, between the levels of inherent danger when doing seemingly innocuous or benign tasks. As many a farmer is aware, safety is a key component when working with animals and machinery, and one which warrants careful consideration.
In most cases, in the businesses in the city suburbs, these dangers are limited and documented by way of training and inductions. Signed copies or completed online inductions signify the employee has at least read, been taught or understands SOP’s (standard operation procedures), or has been made aware of the inherent or perceived dangers associated with certain tasks, to reduce the risk of injury. On farms, these instructions and guidelines can often be metered out in a much less formal way, perhaps at breakfast or over a toolbox or talk towards the beginning of the day or activity.
This method is often, by far, preferable to those involved; as anyone who has tried to get into the mining industry will attest, as they suffer through sometimes weeks of repetitive literature and video introductions, warnings and procedures until they come out wondering what they have been doing for the last two, seemingly infinite, weeks of their life. However, the question of employee attendance and attention, as well as actually proving this took place as stated, can be a point of contention and this shouldn’t, if at all possible, be left to chance, especially if an injury occurs.
Documenting key processes and safety requirements, with acknowledgement from both parties, could mean the difference between key information being correctly exchanged and understood, or being misunderstood and not applied. It sounds simple, but it’s true. They say knowledge is power, so arming ourselves, as both employees and employers, with the right information and disseminating it correctly can make instructions for something as simple as, “We do not allow employees to climb windmills on this farm without a harness” or, “You must not put your hand on any moving part of a machine”, mean the difference between an injury being avoided completely, or an accident occurring.
Everyone is busy, paperwork is annoying, but simply identifying your “non negotiables” on farm and making sure they meet your WorkSafe obligations prior to starting your season is a good preventative measure. Having all these discussed with staff, made available for training and inductions, along with installing appropriate hazard signage and implementing necessary safety procedures, could make the difference between a great season without incident, and a much more memorable one, but for all the wrong reasons.
