The Victorian Farm Safety Centre (VFSC) was established in 1998
in response to a request by Farmsafe Australia to have a centralised
location where farmers could obtain training and information in farm
safety. The Centre is a conduit for farming information to the state
and nationally, influencing policy from the “grass roots” with
industry ownership and promotion.
The VFSC is primarily funded through WorkSafe to develop guides
based upon consultation with industry and research into best
practice management to reduce deaths and injuries on farms. Advice
is provided by a Steering Committee and Reference groups with links
to farms, manufacturing, unions, training and OH&S.
The VFSC has worked cooperatively with the VFF and its branches
(primarily through joint projects), the FarmSafe Alliance and
FarmSafe Victoria. The Industrial Department of the VFF and the VFSC
have had excellent working relationships in the past.
The VFSC has well established links with the training network in
Agriculture through RTO’s, TAFE Colleges, Multi-sector Universities,
the Industry Training Board for Agriculture (Primary Skills
Victoria), the Office of TAFE and the secondary schools involved in
delivering Agriculture and Horticulture. All of the above have been
involved in past projects, staff developments, forums and workshops
conducted by the VFSC. Information dissemination eventuates through
public presentations, training delivery and farm audits.
Farms are dangerous places; over 150 people die annually from
farm injuries in Australia. The major causes of injury are tractors,
mobile machinery, animals, vehicles, including motorcycles and ATVs,
and toddler drowning. Children and older farmers are over
represented in the statistics.
Farmers inherently are risk managers, they manage financial
risks, production risks, drought risks and given good information
and skills can easily become good managers of health and safety
risks.
Managing health and safety doesn’t always need to be costly. It
doesn’t cost to not carry passengers on Quads or tractors, nor does
it cost to replace guards after maintenance, or remove keys from
tractors, or not get off moving tractors or lock up chemicals after
use.
The Farm Safety Centre’s workshops and associated guidance
material, consultancies and farm audits can assist farmers
nationally to manage on-farm health and safety to achieve a
healthier environment in which to work and live.
The Centre provides education and training to all farmers,
whether they are members of a recognised industry group or not.
Farmers are keen to communicate with the VFSC at the University of
Ballarat to meet their legal and moral obligations to their
families, friends and workers.
