Overview
Agriculture is of vital importance to South Australia’s economy and employs 32,200 people in the state. It is also an extremely dangerous industry with 56 deaths and 8.3 fatalities per 100,000 workers from 2003 to 2023.
Farming is a generational business where WHS knowledge is often passed down informally. Farmers typically learn about WHS through conversations with peers, on-farm training courses, or experiences in other industries. However, there is a significant gap in formal WHS education and compliance, particularly among older generations. To address these issues, a comprehensive strategy has been developed comprising key initiatives. The initiatives outline the actions SafeWork SA will take to mitigate agriculture industry injuries and ensure compliance.
Claims data
The Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Industry priority harms 2025 report analysed injury claims data from Return to Work SA data from July 2016 to June 2025.
Mushroom and Vegetable Farming, Sheep, Beef Cattle and Grain Farming, and Fruit and Tree Nut Growing made up almost 60 percent of all claims.
The main injury mechanisms were body stressing (30.01%), being hit by moving objects (25.63%), falls, trips and slips (18.7%), and hitting objects with the body (12.08%).
Between July 2021 and December 2024, the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Industry reported 325 notifications to SafeWork SA, including 13 fatalities, 122 notifiable serious injuries, 42 notifiable dangerous incidents, 11 notifications prescribed by the Regulations, and 137 others (complaints, non-notifiable incidents, and psychosocial hazards).
Fatalities were mainly caused by on-site vehicle accidents, falls from height, and incidents involving unguarded machinery.
Serious injuries were most commonly due to being hit by moving objects, vehicle incidents, unguarded plant, falling objects, serious lacerations, falls from heights, slips, trips, and falls, chemical burns, and serious eye injuries.
The most common dangerous incidents were electric shocks, falls or releases from height, and uncontrolled implosions, explosions, or fires.
Campaign information
The campaign will run from 1 July 2025 to 30 October 2026 and will involve a collaboration with ReturnToWork SA to identify 30 farm businesses with a history of high injury claims.
SafeWork SA inspectors will undertake audits of the identified Agriculture businesses to collect data to identify trends, common issues, and areas requiring additional focus. Statutory notices will be issued for non-compliance.
High risk work licensing
High-risk work licences are required for a number of tasks including crane and hoist operation, forklift operation and scaffolding work.
These licences are used widely across several industries including manufacturing, agriculture, forestry and fishing and transport and warehousing.
SafeWork SA’s 2025-26 compliance campaigns will include audits aim to ensure that high-risk work (HRW) is being carried out safely and competently.
The audits will focus on verifying that workers hold a valid HRW licence relevant to the tasks they perform and that employers have systems in place to sight, verify, and record these licences.
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