Projects

Objective:
The Farm Health and Safety Joint Research Venture coordinates and supports R&D to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate safe systems of work on farms across all rural industries.

Collaboration:

Death and injury rates are higher for Australian male farmers than for the Australian male population. The higher death rate stems both from the higher injury rate and from systemic factors associated with the farming profession.

The RDC partners involved in the Venture recognised that occupational health and safety is a serious issue affecting all commodity sectors, and that R&D investments are critical to developing safer systems for the improved productivity and well-being of industry participants.

The Venture is a partnership between R&D Corporations, managed by RIRDC, working in collaboration with FarmSafe Australia, the national peak body for farm health and safety issues. Partners are:

• Rural Industries R&D Corporation
• Grains R&D Corporation
• Cotton R&D Corporation
• Sugar R&D Corporation
• Meat & Livestock Australia
• Dairy Australia
• Horticulture Australia Ltd
• Australian Wool Innovation Ltd

Results:

The Venture’s R&D investments contribute to:

• increased adoption of safe systems of work on farms;
• improved information and systems to ensure the health and safety of persons transporting, handling, applying and otherwise affected by agricultural and veterinary chemicals;
• developing on-farm safety management packages for all major commodities including horticultural industries and encourage their incorporation into broader farm management packages;
• training material and delivery modes more likely to be taken up by farmers; and
• maintaining, supporting and utilising the collection of data on farm health and safety issues.

 

Measures of Success:
Improved farm health & safety benefits al participants in rural industries, as well as on-farm families and regional communities.

The cost of farm injury to Australia has been estimated to be as much as $1.29 billion per annum, and the Venture is committed to providing relevant R&D to assist industry and government in preventing injury on farms.