Safety First Approach Necessary On Aussie Farms

New South Wales farmers are urged to take a ‘safety first’ approach on their properties to stem injuries.

A Central NSW man was convicted and fined $50,000 after a young employee had part of his leg severed by an operating, unguarded piece of inground machinery while he was helping clear grain from a silo in 2020.

Section 19/32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 talks about ensuring, as far as reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers.

NSW Department of Customer Service (DCS) Better Regulation Division Deputy Secretary and NSW Fair Trading Commissioner, Natasha Mann said that in the case before the court, the worker was employed by a family-owned and operated farm with interests in sheep and beef cattle farming, as well as grain.

“On the day of the incident, the farmhand was shovelling and sweeping grain inside a silo,” Ms Mann said. “The defendant had removed floor guards from access points to an inground grain auger, which had a motorised, twisting metal segment that was conveying produce from the silo to a waiting truck.”

The court heard that part of the worker’s leg was severed above the knee when he stepped back into one of the grain auger’s unguarded access points.

The business offered no formal training for workers and had no documented work system at the time of the incident.

During sentencing last month, the court heard that the employer had expressed sincere remorse following the incident. The business has since developed a safe work procedure for cleaning the silo and operating its grain auger.

Ms Mann said they were asking all agribusinesses within the State to be vigilant about their safe work planning and relentless about ensuring that the management and workforce are properly trained. “This is a must if we are to stem the tide of injuries,” she said. “We are investing in continuous education across industries, including agribusiness, to help ensure workplaces are safe places.”

Eligible small businesses in NSW may apply for a $1000 rebate upon successful completion of online safety training course Small Business Easy To Do WHS, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at safework.nsw.gov.au

NSW businesses are urged to visit the SafeWork NSW website twice each week for the latest news about working safely as well as any changes associated with their legal obligations. Eligible small businesses in regional NSW, including agribusinesses, may apply for a free workplace advisory visit from experienced, accredited SafeWork Inspectors on the website.

A silo safety self-assessment checklist is available on the website.

• Topics:

• Agriculture
• Farming