Overhaul of Aussie ag health and safety systems

The primary production industry will be seeing an overhaul in the management of their health and safety systems, with rural research and development corporations (RDCs) partnering to develop a new approach focused on innovative research and extension.

The Rural Safety and Health Alliance (RSHA) aims to better target research, development and extension, strengthen industry leadership and use a ‘shark tank’ funding model, where applicants work together to pitch projects for funding.

The Chair of Rural Safety and Health, Patrick Murphy, says this change is urgently needed.

“Health and safety performance has hardly changed in the past 15 years and the direct and indirect financial impact of agricultural workplace deaths is estimated to be $1.5 billion over this period,” Mr Murphy said. “There is an enormous social, emotional and economic toll to workplace death and injury so the RSHA is focused on giving farmers and fishers the tools to create safer working environments for themselves, their workers and their families.

“Not only will we be saving lives but it has been demonstrated in other sectors that improvements to health and safety also bring productivity and financial benefits so there is much to gain by tackling this issue directly.”

Through this partnership, the RSHA will generate new levels of collaboration, addressing how health and safety practices are shaped and held.

Supporters of the Rural Safety and Health Alliance include AgriFutures Australia, Australian Eggs, Australian Pork, Australian Wool Innovation, Cotton Research and Development Corporation, Dairy Australia, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Grains Research and Development Corporation and Meat and Livestock Australia.

You can visit the RSHA website to find out more by clicking here.