Tony Lower

Farmsafe Australia Symposium - Oct 31, 2013

Farm safety:

Where we have come from ?

and

Where we are headed ?

1989-92 2003-06 2007-10 2011-12 20130

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

587

326

220

109 46

146

82

55 55 60

Tota

l num

ber o

f dea

ths

Ave

rage

/ ye

ar

Australian Farm Injury Deaths (1989-2013)

Media Data Only

3

Age Distribution (2001-10)

0-4 5-14 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85+0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Age

Num

ber o

f dea

ths

Farm Injury Deaths 2001-2013

2001

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 130

20

40

60

80

100

120

All Tractors Quads

Year

No.

Media Data Only

4

5

Media Monitors

Media Monitors 2011

› 59 deaths (+ 81 injuries)

› Quads = 17 (+ 4 off-farm)

› Tractors = 10

› Cattle = 3

› Motorcycle = 2

› Utes = 2

› Kids = 8 (quads 4, drowning 2)

Media Monitors 2013 (YTD)

› 47 deaths (+ 85 injuries)

› Quads = 10 (+ 5 off-farm)

› Tractors = 8

› Mobile plant = 6

› SSV = 3

› Farm vehicle NEC = 3

› Kids = 8 (mobile plant 2, farm vehicle NEC 2, quad 1, ute 1, m/cycle 1, drowning 1)

Media Monitors 2012

› 50 deaths (+ 87 injuries)

› Quads = 10 (+ 8 off-farm)

› Tractors = 9

› Utes = 5

› Grain auger = 2

› Harvester = 2

› Kids = 13 (quads 4, drowning 4)

6

Safe Work Australia Workers Compensation: Serious Injury

Industry Group 2011-12prate/100,000

Agriculture 21.0Horticulture / fruit growing 16.7Grain, sheep, beef 21.2Dairy 20.5Poultry 23.9Other livestock 60.4Other crop 19.2

Mining 14.2Construction 18.7Transport Road transport 26.7

All 12.2

7

A Tale of Two Industries

2000-01

2001-02

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12p

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Agriculture Mining

Year

Incidence / 100,000 Mining

52% Ag22%

Serious injury incidence rate

8

Australian WHS Strategy Targets 2022

1. A reduction of at least 20% in the number of worker fatalities due to injury.

2. A reduction of at least 30% in the incidence rate of claims resulting in one or more weeks off work.

3. A reduction of at least 30% in the incidence rate of claims for musculoskeletal disorders resulting in one or more weeks off work.

Major Issues & Potential Controls (Preliminary)

Agent % of Total

1. Tractors ~ 15%

2. Quad bikes ~ 11%

3. Dams/water bodies ~ 9%

4. Farm utilities ~ 6%

5. Motorcycles ~ 6%

6. Horses ~ 4%

Potential Controls

- ROPS, Safe access

- CPDs, no kids/pass, helmet

- Safe Play Areas (<5yrs)

- Seat belts, no riding in tray

- Helmet

- Helmet9

Of the 779 deaths in the 2001-2010 period, six leading agents were responsible for 50% (n=391) of all cases.

Potential for Prevention 2001-10 (Preliminary)

1. Tractors* 116

2. Quad Bikes** 83

3. Drowning 68

4. Farm Utes 47

5. Motorbikes* 45

6. Horses* 34

TOTAL 393

ROPS/safe access 23 (20%)

CPD/helmet/no passengers/kids 62 (75%)

Safe Play Area 29 (43%)

Seat belt/no tray travel 24 (51%)

Helmet 5 (11%)

Helmet 6 (18%)

TOTAL 149 (38%)

Major Killers No. Preventable Deaths? No. (%)

Note: Highly conservative estimates as * had almost 50% of cases where enough information was not available to provide an accurate estimate on whether a preventive option my have worked & ** had almost 20% of cases in this category.

Farm Injury - To Do List

Where have we come from? › Big reductions over past 20+ years, but not to level of other industries

Where we are headed ?› We can reach or exceed the 20% national target for reducing fatalities

› Doing the things that we already know work will have the greatest

impact in reducing deaths and injuries

We can do better! 11