A paramedic from the Swan Hill district is adding his voice to a farm safety campaign.
Tom Connellan grew up on a sheep, cattle and cropping farm, and now is called to local medical emergencies.
He’s supporting the WorkSafe campaign “It’s Never You, Until It Is” saying he believes many farm incidents are preventable with more planning or the right safety gear.
WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin said the pressures of farming, especially at busy times like harvest, meant it could be easy to get caught in the mindset that the work must be done at all costs.
“No one can afford the human cost, the downtime and the financial burden that comes when safety is not a priority – fatalities and injuries on farms are preventable, not inevitable,” Mr Jenkin said.
There’s been six work-related deaths in agriculture across Victoria this year.
Image thanks to WorkSafe