Sugarcane farmers will be encouraged to improve health and safety on their farms through a new kit released by the Joint Research Venture for Farm Health and Safety.

The Joint Venture, which is managed by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), aims to reduce injuries and death on Australian farms.

RIRDC Acting General Manager of National Rural Issues, Jane Fisher, said agriculture was second only to mining for injuries and death in the workplace.

“Farmers and farm workers are more likely to be injured or killed than almost any other industry in the country.  That applies equally to the sugarcane sector,” Ms Fisher said.

“The Joint Venture program aims to increase the adoption of safe work practices on-farm and develop on-farm safety management systems for all major commodity groups.

“As part of that program we have produced this kit, which comes in binder form, to help sugarcane farmers try and reduce farm health and safety problems by giving them the information and resources they need to improve safety on the farm.”

The kit includes information on the responsibilities of both employers and employees, risk identification and management, and farm planning.

It also contains a comprehensive hazard checklist covering everything from roll-over bars on tractors to procedures for controlled burning and safety during harvesting.

The kit includes induction forms for farm workers and a training and injury register to assist with compliance and maintenance of records.

“This kit is designed to reduce injury and illness in a practical and efficient manner.  In the long term, this will enhance productivity and health and safety for individual farms and the wider sugarcane industry by reducing fatalities and the injury rate.

The kit has been developed with close co-operation between RIRDC and the Sugar Research and Development Corporation.

The Joint Research Venture for Farm Health and Safety is a partnership between Meat and Livestock Australia, Australian Wool Innovation and the Grains, Sugar, Cotton and Rural Industries Research and Development Corporations, and is managed by RIRDC. The Venture invests in R&D to enhance the wellbeing and productivity in rural industries through improved occupational health and safety and safe systems of work on farms.

For copies of the kit, contact Dr Diana Maldonado at the Sugar Research and Development Corporation on 07 3225 9443.

Media enquiries:
Danny O’Brien – RIRDC Communications Manager – 02 6271 4175 or 0438 130 445