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