WHS Guide

SUGARCANE GROWERS TAKE SAFETY SERIOUSLY

As part of National Safe Work Month, the new CANEGROWERS Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) Guide for sugarcane farms was launched at Isis grower Jeffrey Plath's Farnsfield farm in October.

The WHS Guide is designed to help growers assess their businesses and remain compliant with WHS legislation.

“Rural industry has a high rate of workplace accidents in Australia, so safety needs to be an integral part of farming operations,” CANEGROWERS CEO Dan Galligan said.

“Growers are busy, frequently juggling loads of different and occasionally dangerous activities. The very nature of growing sugarcane uses heavy machinery and equipment, creating inherently risky situations.

“Every business owner knows the importance of safety, but it can be hard to find the time to do the checks or keep the records effectively, instead relying on their personal experience and knowledge.”

Growers like CANEGROWERS Isis Deputy Chair Peter McLennan and Jeffrey Plath are committed to on farm safety but say it can be overwhelming to know where to start.

“The game's evolving all the time,” Peter said.

“And the way we farm is evolving. This guide provides a great tool, it's a one-stop shop for growers."

With a suite of user-friendly checklists, registers and forms, the guide is designed specifically for growers, to not only raise awareness but also to help understand the legislative requirements of the Qld Workplace Health and Safety Act 2011.

“Farming is a risky business and we strive to have a safe working environment”

CANEGROWERS engaged James Cook University experts to develop the guide as a practical resource. The guide is divided into usable sections, unique to the business of growing sugarcane and providing the ability to keep documentation handy in a digital or hard copy as the individual grower prefers.

"Safety is on every farmer's mind," Jeffrey said. "Farming is a risky business and we all strive to have a safe working environment.

"It's of paramount importance as far as I'm concerned. This document will provide the framework for what we need to do to comply with our legal obligations."

By implementing WHS measures growers can reduce potential risks, and revise and manage farming practices to avoid workplace incidents.

“All of this means less downtime and therefore less expense in the long term for the grower but most importantly, it means a safer working environment,” Dan Galligan said. “In the end, many of our workplaces are also family homes. The people who work and live on our farms are our most valuable resource and part of our community."

CANEGROWERS is committed to supporting growers to do all they can to ensure the safety of workers and families.

The CANEGROWERS Workplace Health and Safety Guide for sugarcane farmers can be found on the members resource page of the CANEGROWERS website.