September 29, 2016
A new report by Safe Work Australia which looks at health and safety in agricultural industries has found the rate of farm fatalities has fallen by around 24 per cent since 2003.
The report – Work Health Safety in the Agricultural Industry – identifies the key risks faced by agricultural workers and provides statistics about injuries, fatalities and workers’ compensation.
It also compares the agricultural industry against other industries.
A key finding is that the fatality rate in the agricultural industry is significantly higher than the all industry average.
Other findings:
- Around three quarters of fatalities in the agricultural industry involved vehicles, and approximately a third of fatally injured workers were aged 65 and over
- The rate of serious workers’ compensation claims in the agricultural industry fell by 14 per cent between 2000-01 and 2012-13
- Over half of serious workers’ compensation claims in the agricultural industry resulted from body stressing injuries or being hit by moving objects
The full report is available online
