At times a Council’s interest in occupational health and safety may extend beyond the activities of its own workforce and into high risk occupations of residents in their Municipality. Three Councils on Melbourne’s northern fringe have joined forces to appoint a Small Farm Safety Project Officer as part of a pilot program promoting safety on small farms.
Perhaps surprisingly, of all industrial workplaces, farms have the highest death rate. The Cities of Hume and Whittlesea and the Shire of Nillumbik all have significant numbers of rural properties. More than 10,000 people live on rural properties across the three Municipalities, with 8,000 of those people on small farms.
Shelagh Curmi, who has been appointed to the Safety Officer position, said her initial work will be in establishing the safety needs of various farm types.
“It is more relevant to separately look at the safety needs of vineyards, poultry and sheep farms than to group the farms in their Municipalities,” she said. “The injuries sustained in a vineyard will be different to those sustained at a chicken farm.”
Shelagh Curmi is looking for strong community input in establishing the program. Small farms, in particular, lend themselves to safety problems as they are often hobby farms or holiday spots and are infrequently visited.
In such circumstances, owners may not have the time or networks to be fully informed about farm safety practices. They may also regard investment in safety equipment as too expensive or unnecessary given the farm’s low use.
“People need to realise that it is not just the people working on the farm that are injured but children are also injured,” Shelagh said. “It is a subject that has long needed attention and I hope this pilot program can bring about some change.”
For further information contact Shelagh Curmi, telephone (03) 9205 2528.
