Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation

Research Compendium 1993 - 1994

Research Project

THE ECONOMICS OF FARM SAFETY IN AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE

Objectives

• To estimate the incidence of work related accidents in the NSW cropping and grazing industries.
• To indicate the type and magnitude of costs to the farm and to society resulting from these accidents.
• To estimate the returns to further investment in improved farm safety extension programs.
• To identify correlations between industry, demographic or socio-economic factors and accident occurrence.
• To analyse producer attitudes towards safety practices and the identification of incentives and disincentives for farm workers to adopt safety practices.
• To assess the impact of farm safety extension programs in raising farmers' awareness of safety practices.

Background

A study of work related deaths in Australia from 1982 to 1984 revealed the occupational category "farming, fishing, hunting and timbergetting", as having the third highest incidence of work related fatalities. Growing community concern resulted in the first national farm safety conference, Farmsafe '88, and the subsequent setting up of local community-based Farm Safety Action Groups (FSAGs). The FSAGs sought information on farm safety in the Australian context to guide their activities, but of the studies then available, none presented a comprehensive profile of occupational injury for rural Australia. Research was required to obtain such data.

Research

Following a pilot survey conducted in the Armidale area in 1991, a farm-work related injury survey was conducted over 919 farms in the Shires of Gilgandra, Carrathool and Yallaroi in the wheat/sheep belt of NSW during 1992 and 1993. An injury was defined as where the person required professional medical treatment, one day off work or five days working at a restricted capacity. An injury that required five or more days off work was considered a "serious" injury.

Particular emphasis was given to the collection of data on personal risk factors, and on the incidence and cost of injuries. Information from 425 farm injuries was analysed using statistical methods to determine the most common injuries, their associated costs, including medical treatment, transport to treatment, damage to plant and equipment, replacement labour and production losses, and the relationship between injuries and risk factors.

Outcome

One in five properties in the sample reported at least one injury every year, and each farm injury cost an average of $1000. One in 12 properties reported a serious injury. The costs associate with these injuries ranged from nil to $26,000 per injury but averaged $2,500. Medical costs made up about half of these amounts, transport costs for treatment about 15% and costs of farm losses (direct production losses, damage to plant and equipment, extra labour required) about 35%.

The farm workshop or shed was the most common location for injuries to occur, and almost 25% of all injuries were of a sprain nature. Age was identified as a risk factor, having a negative relationship with risk of injury. Previous injury status was also a risk factor, having a positive relationship with risk of injury. The day time drowsiness scale (proxy for sleep quality) and the level of education were found to be marginally significant risk factors.

Implications

A large number of specific recommendations were made relating to the survey method and the measurement of particular variables, to the use of the injury profile and cost of injury information as an incentive to improve farm safety practices, and to the scattered evidence on attitudes to farm safety.

In relation to the last group, while a substantial proportion of producers claimed they were aware of farm safety issues, unfortunately there still seemed to be a large gap between the acknowledgment of farm safety as an issue, and the use of improved work practices and personal protective equipment on a consistent basis. So even though the message is getting through to producers, there needs to be further effort to encourage producers to convert the changed attitudes into actions.

RIRDC Project No: DAN-62A

RESEARCHERS: Ms Joanna Low and Dr Garry Griffith

ORGANISATION: Nsw Department of Agriculture

PHONE: 067 70 1826

PUBLICATIONS:

Low, J M and G R Griffith 1993. The incidence and costs of farm injuries. Contributed paper presented to the 36th Annual Australian Agricultural Economics Society Conference, Sydney, February.

Low, J M and G R Griffith 1994. Australian farm work injuries: 1. the diversity of damage, Australian Journal of Rural Health (in press).

Low, J M and G R Griffith 1994. Australian farm work injuries: 2. the relevance of risk factors, Australian Journal of Rural Health (in press).

Low, J M and G R Griffith 1994. Australian farm work injuries: a multiplicity, a liability. contributed paper presented to the 37th Annual Australian Agricultural Economics Society Conference, Wellington, February.

Last updated: 10 October 1996
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