MEDIA RELEASE: FARMING RANKED ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S DEADLIEST JOBS THIS NATIONAL FARM SAFETY WEEK
Date: 21/07/2026
Agriculture is Australia's second deadliest industry and on National Farm Safety Week (19-25 July), the nation’s peak workplace health and safety body is urging farmers and safety professionals to work together and save lives.
An average of 40 agricultural workers lose their lives on the job every year (2020-24), with 13 deaths already recorded this year alone (as at 2 July).
The Australian Institute of Health and Safety (AIHS) CEO Julia Whitford said this year's theme, Set the Standard: 'Show 'em How It's Done', is a reminder that shortcuts on the job gets watched and copied.
“This campaign is about work health and safety professionals and farmers working together to show what safe, practical farming looks like. Farmers know their work better than anyone, by having conversations and learning from each other, we can make safety part of everyday farming,” Ms Whitford said.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing recorded the highest serious injury claims rate of any industry with 11.3 claims per million hours worked. It is almost double the national average.
Vehicle rollovers, falls, equipment incidents and being struck by moving objects remain the leading causes of farm deaths.
"Long hours, financial pressure, and the mental strain of isolation can also take a toll. Add unpredictable seasons and burnout, and you have a perfect storm for physical and psychological injury," Ms Whitford said.
Industry Safety and Health Professor and AIHS Board member Marcus Cattani is driving change through his research into safer farming practices.
"Too many farmers still think getting hurt is just part of the job. It isn't, and it doesn't have to be," Professor Cattani said.
"You don't need a computer, a budget, or to be an expert in agriculture to change that. Turning up, asking the right questions, and giving the people doing the work ten minutes with an exercise book is often all it takes to get safety moving."
Professor Cattani's simple steps anyone can follow this Farm Safety Week:
- Ask "what could go wrong?" Talk to the people doing the work and write down what could cause harm such as noise, heat, fatigue, mental strain.
- Be honest about what you're already doing. Next to each risk, note what's in place to prevent it. If the answer is "nothing", that is where to start.
- Decide what needs to change, and check it happens. Get whoever holds the budget to agree to the fix, then check regularly that it is in place, not just written down.
- Investigate anything that goes wrong. Ask "why did that happen?" Then ask why again. Keep asking until you reach the cause.
- Keep a "safety shopping list". Every fix identified, from a risk register or an investigation, goes on the list with who is doing it and by when. Then follow up.
Ms Whitford said farmers do not need to feel like they carry the responsibility alone. She said workplace health and safety professionals across the country have a role to play in backing them up with the right tools and support.
"Every worker deserves to return home safely at the end of the day, and that is a job we all share. By working together, we can make safer farms for everyone." she said.
National Farm Safety Week is an initiative of Farm Safe Australia. Resources can be found on the AIHS website.
ENDS
Media Enquiries:
AIHS Contact: Rebecca Turnbull
Tel: (03) 8336 1995
Email: [email protected]
About the AIHS: With a 77-year history, the Australian Institute of Health & Safety (AIHS) is the peak body representing workplace health and safety professionals, with a vision for safe and healthy people in productive workplaces and communities. The AIHS works with industry, government, regulators, unions, and experts to improve regulation, policy, safety standards and training.