WorkSafe inquiry into spate of agriculture deaths suggests sector levy to fund safety education campaign

An inquiry into a spate of agriculture sector deaths has suggested imposing a levy on the industry to pay for safety campaigns, prompting immediate pushback from the industry. WorkSafe commissioner Darren Kavanagh announced the inquiry in June following the State’s 12th work-related death in the preceding year - a significantly higher rate than usual. About 90 per cent of those killed or seriously injured were men, with nearly half of those aged over 55. The top two circumstances were being crushed or struck by a tractor or other large machinery that was either being repaired or was idling in between a gear change, and being crushed and asphyxiated or left with head or neck injuries from a quad bike crash. Other main causes of death or injury included being crushed by livestock, an unsighted bystander being crushed by a reversing or moving vehicle, falling from the roof of a shed under construction, failing to use safety equipment and personal protective equipment, and using unsafe methods. “These fatalities and serious injuries occur far more frequently in the agricultural industry than in any other,” inquirer Pamela Scott wrote in her report released on Tuesday. “Some of those reasons relate to the attitudes of some farmers, and to the circumstances of the regulator. “However, the great bulk of the industry is working towards their farmers and workers being safe. “They need leadership and support from their industry groups as well as from the Western Australian Government and the regulator.” She made eight recommendations including establishing a dedicated, specialist agricultural team within the new WorkSafeGroup and a new fund - raised from a levy on the industry, with matching contributions by government - to pay for media campaigns and other activities aimed at promoting safety in agriculture. Pastoralists and Graziers Association WA president Tony Seabrook said he was “opposed to any suggestion of a levy on producers”. “A slow, careful and methodical education program would be a far better way,” Mr Seabrook said. He said the government should “bring industry along with them” rather than use inspectors and fines with fear of imprisonment to achieve their objectives. “Interface with industry, and explain what accidents or incidents occurred and how we can avoid those,” he said, adding quad bikes were a good example. “Industry needs to be a part of the process, so that farmers take ownership.” WAFarmers chief executive Trevor Whittington backed ongoing community education “in order to change people’s attitudes”, saying this could be done through a State Government-funded rural media campaign. “Farms are vastly more complicated than the government thinks ... they need a softly, softly approach.” Mr Whittington said the recent introduction of industrial manslaughter laws hadn’t solved the problem. “There’s been 250 reports around the western world on farm safety. They’ve all come to the same conclusions: that farming is complex. “Farmers are young and old, they work long hours, on a range of machinery items.” Mr Kavanagh said he supported the recommendations and planned to consult the State Government on those that required government action. He said he had called for the inquiry after deeming the statistics “unacceptable”. “I was concerned that in some agricultural workplaces, the ... culture seemed to accept much greater risk than any other industry, with farm production appearing to be put before the safety of families and workers,” Mr Kavanagh said.