Playing It Safe

 

Safety on rural properties is priority number one. And while most farms already have safety precautions in place, these must be altered as your family grows. Whether its making alterations because of a new addition to the family or because we're merely growing older, we must ensure that our properties can be safe for all. 

Farm Safety for Children

Raising your family on rural properties is a great place for children to learn and develop. However we must remember that a rural property isn’t just a home, it’s a workplace too and with every workplace there are dangerous hazards and risks that you must be aware of.

Many farming families are unaware that, compared with urban areas, rural areas have:

  • Almost three times as many young children killed as passengers in vehicles
  • Twice as many young children are killed as pedestrians in low speed impacts with vehicles

While only one third of children live in regional and remote areas about 30 children die on Australian farms each year, while many more are injured.

This may be due to the fact that children on farms:

  • Are often driven around farms where roads/tracks may be of poor quality
  • Regularly use motorbikes for transport or leisure
  • Are often near tractors, trucks and other mobile farm machinery.

Don’t let your child become a statistic. By identifying hazardous areas and placing precautions around your property well-being and safety will be greatly enhanced, not only your child, but for your entire family.

Farm Safety for Adults

As the ageing population grows another year old, our older farmers must be aware of the increased risks to their physical health. Of the 6768 people admitted to NSW hospitals over a 5 year period for injuries sustained on farms, over one third were aged over 55.

Below are some tips on how to reduce the risk of falling:

  • Steps and Grab Rails: Fitting steps and grab rails on trucks, machines and buildings will help ease the weight of work on your body. You can also use any non-slip material (i.e. mesh, grip tape) for the treads on any new steps.
  • Highlighting Edges: Painting the edges of steps with a bright contrasting colour will visually enhance the appearance of the steps.
  • Non-Slip Footwear: Wear boots that have a good grip as this will prevent you from tripping over uneven or gravel surfaces.
  • Walking Staffs and Sticks: Using a staff or a walking stick will help take the weight off your body when walking around the farm.
  • Improve Visibility: Sensor solar-powered lights can be easily installed without an electrician and ensures a light-filled room when movement is sensed.

Most of these changes are inexpensive and are not difficult to install on your property. The sooner you make these changes; the risk of injury will be greatly reduced.

For more information of farm safety please click here