The project is part of WorkCover NSW’s new flagship work health and safety program, 10/5/5, which works with the NSW community to improve safety in the State’s 10 highest risk industries.

General Manager of WorkCover NSW’s Work Health and Safety Division, John Watson, said the project’s aim was to make farms more productive, healthy and safe for farmers and farm workers.

“The Sheep and Beef Cattle Farming Project will look at the causes for the high number of injuries and illnesses across the industry and industry sub-sectors – which is made up of more than 26,900 businesses - including beef cattle feedlots and grain growing,” Mr Watson said.

“In the next two months we will be visiting 50 farms across NSW to compare the risks that we have identified with what farmers and farm workers are experiencing, and discuss some of the barriers to improving safety.

“It will also investigate impact of occupational diseases on the farming community including mental health, noise and animal related diseases.”

The project seeks to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses and improve injury management following 1,514 injuries in the three years to July 2010, at a cost of $41 million. There were also a number of farm-related fatalities that have had a big impact on families, communities and the industry as a whole.

The most common injuries identified by WorkCover involved mobile plant and vehicles including tractors, quad bikes and machinery as well as sprains and strains while handling animals, and being hit by, and falling from, animals.

“Farmers and farm workers deal with work health and safety risks on a daily basis and, together with key stakeholders, are well placed to contribute to the development of work health and safety solutions,” Mr Watson said

“Farmers have been forced to deal with a lot of issues, including drought, floods and the impact of the global financial crisis on commodity prices. Despite these issues, farmers have demonstrated their commitment to meet their obligations under workplace safety laws to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees.

“We will work closely with the farming fraternity to develop sustainable improvements to safety, injury management, return to work and workers compensation so that rural workplaces are much safer and more productive.”