Working towards a safer future for farming families

“We did have to put time into making safety part of our routine, but now it saves us time,” Scott said.

“Productivity has shot up because I can be sure people know what they’re doing.”

But Scott says the best part is knowing that he’s protecting his family and employees.

“If something happened to me, it’d be my wife Stacey and my two girls who are left behind” he said.

“And we’ve got Lachie working here who’s got a young family. The thought of making that phone call and explaining what’s happened drove me to make changes.”

For Scott, the solution started with small but meaningful changes — simple steps like vehicle maintenance, PPE and making sure everyone had the Vic Emergency App downloaded.

However, after taking part in WorkSafe’s Safety Learning Network and connecting with other agribusinesses, Scott realised there were areas on his farm that needed improvement, including having a formal induction for workers.

“That’s one of the areas I got a bit lost and a bit overwhelmed. So I decided to bring someone in to help me,” Scott said.

“It made me sleep better at night and a lot of confidence grew from it.”

Engaging a safety consultant and asking for help was a worthwhile investment, according to Scott, who encourages all farmers to do the same when starting their safety journey.

“Ask other farmers that you think are more advanced than you, because I’m positive they’d be willing to share their advice,” he said.

“Don’t burden yourself with the whole thing and think it has to be done tomorrow.”

Another challenge for Scott was having the right signage for his chemical shed, one of the most common issues on farms, which he got on top of after a visit from WorkSafe Inspector Will Neville.

“The best thing about Scott is he’s always willing to listen and learn and continuously improve along the way,” Will said.

Scott said the benefits of embracing help from WorkSafe and other external services were twofold — it saved lives and was good for business.

“It felt like a big challenge at first, but once I started having conversations and making a few changes, I realised it wasn’t as hard as I thought. Now, I can see the benefits in how we work every day,” Scott said.

“Our farm has a proud legacy and I would hate that to be overshadowed by tragedies that could’ve been avoided with minor safety changes.

“My safety journey is a way for me to honour our farm’s history and protect future generations.”

Agriculture makes up just two per cent of Victoria’s workforce but regularly accounts for more than 10 per cent of all workplace deaths.

Since 2021, 33 people have lost their lives in agricultural workplaces, including one already this year.

WorkSafe has also accepted 2245 workplace injury claims from agriculture workers in the same period.

WorkSafe executive director of health and safety Sam Jenkin said farmers should be supported to take safety action in ways that worked for them.

“Farmers know their land, their vehicles and their teams better than anyone,” Sam said.

“We are here to give them the tools and confidence to make safety a routine part of farm life.

“Farming is a tough job, but it doesn’t have to be a deadly one. Nothing is more important than staying safe for those you love and protecting those you spend your days with.”

Scott is sharing his story as part of WorkSafe’s powerful ‘it’s never you, until it is’ campaign, which has returned to TV, radio, print and online channels to highlight the importance of farm safety.