It's a sobering statistic but farming accounts for one in every five worker deaths in NSW. So it's no surprise the message of Farm Safety Week, which runs until July 23rd, is being pushed hard to raise awareness of hazards.

Farmsafe Australia, the national advocate for farm safety, is using Farm Safety Week to urge farmers and farm workers to "Stay on the Safe Side" by highlighting the importance of prioritising safety when working around Power Take-Off (PTO) shafts and farm machinery implements.

PTO shafts transfer power from tractors to various implements such as mowers, balers, and augers. PTO-driven equipment is essential in agricultural operations but can pose significant entanglement risks if not handled with caution. By raising awareness and implementing proper safety measures, farmers and farm workers can prevent injuries and fatalities.

Farmsafe Australia has noted a pleasing overall decline in injuries and fatalities relating to catch hazards such as PTO's but still highlight the need to be alert, saying guards must be in place, machinery properly maintained and safe operating procedures followed.

“We’ve seen a significant decrease in amputations and fatalities relating to entanglement due to the rise in machinery guarding and automatic shut-off innovation," Secretary Kerri-Lynn Peachey of AgHealth Australia said.

"Unfortunately, when an incident does occur, the consequences are usually severe to catastrophic. It is critical that farmers remember to replace broken guards and only attempt maintenance when machinery is fully shut off and stationary.”

Paul Sloman of Cotton Australia, is a long-time member of Farmsafe Australia.

"Safety should be the top priority when working around PTO shafts and farm machinery implements," Mr Sloman said. "By implementing proper guarding, conducting regular maintenance, and following safe operating procedures, we can prevent entanglement and protect the well-being of farmers and farm workers.”

Other common agricultural hazards causing injuries include quad bikes, animal handling, biosecurity hazards, tree work, noise and electrical work.

AgHealth Australia reported the average cost of an on-farm fatality is over $1.95 million, making it an economic as well as ethical imperative to ensure guards are repaired and replaced as required and that all machinery is properly and regularly maintained.

Agriculture is one of the key industries in the Western Plains and the area has not been without its incidents.

In 2022, a 45-year-old worker sustained serious injuries whilst undertaking engine repairs underneath a front-end-loader at a property located in Euabalong. The hydraulic jacks beneath the loader gave way, pinning the worker at the pelvis and hips.

Other incidents in regional NSW have involved workers being crushed beneath equipment or by animals. On farms, quad bikes are a leading cause of death. So far in 2023, eight people have already died in quad bike incidents in Australia, four of those in NSW.

Farmsafe Australia remains committed to promoting farm safety and advocating for best practices in working with PTO-driven equipment.

Head of SafeWork NSW Natasha Mann said farming is the backbone of many regional areas.

"We can’t afford for any worker to lose a day or more through serious injury. We want to put the focus on making sure that farming work is done safely and our workers make it home at the end of each day."