The Tasmanian Government takes farm safety extremely seriously and urges a fresh focus on the issue during National Farm Safety Week.
Running from 17 to 21 July, the theme for 2017 National Farm Safety Week is “creating a resilient, safe and healthy ag community".
National Farm Safety Week highlights the importance of business and industry working together to increase the well-being of Australian farmers and reduce the death and injuries associated with health and safety risks on farms.
The Tasmanian Government allocated an additional $600,000 in the 2017-18 State Budget to provide continued support for the Safe Farming Tasmania Program over the next four years.
Our farming families and rural communities are our greatest asset and investing in the safety of our people is critical if we are to grow the value of agriculture to $10 billion by 2050.
Through guidance and advice, Safe Farming Tasmania Program is changing the culture on the farm. The Farm Safe Tasmania Program is driven by education and encourages increased health, safety and well‑being awareness and work health and safety behavioural change within our rural sector by assisting industry with practical guidance and information.
The program aims to reduce farm related death, injury and disease, and improve the health, safety and well‑being of workers in the Tasmanian rural sector with heightened awareness and practical programs.
By providing practical advice, information and support tailored to suit the needs of each individual business the Safe Farming Tasmania Program has become a respected and trusted source of work health and safety information.
Safe Farming Tasmania is a joint initiative between the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) and WorkSafe Tasmania.
In the three years to March 2017, the Safe Farming Tasmania program, which is free, has assisted about 1000 farming enterprises with practical work health and safety guidance and advice.