Safety on small Australian farms

Abstract

This paper examines health and safety issues for small farms in Australia. It provides evidence that small area farmers face similar hazards to that of larger operations. The results also indicate that further work is required to assist these producers in understanding both their legal obligations in respect to health and safety, plus the types of effective control actions they can take to reduce risk. Small area farmers received little information on health and safety, but for those that did, the usual means was through word of mouth or pathways outside the typical communication networks of larger farms. There is significant scope to work with and improve the dissemination of health and safety information for small area farmers and to transfer this information into practical skills to reduce health and safety risks.