Farm Risk Assessment

Hazard Identification

Identifying hazards is the first step in managing farm safety. You must find everything in the workplace that could cause harm before an incident occurs. A hazard is any source of potential damage, harm, or adverse health effects on something or someone. Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act), you have a primary duty of care to ensure the workplace is safe, so far as is reasonably practicable. This duty requires you to be proactive in spotting risks.

Start by walking around the farm with a critical eye. Look at how work is actually done, not just how you think it is done.

Machinery and Plant Farms use heavy and dangerous equipment. Tractors, quad bikes, and harvesters are major hazards. You must check for unguarded moving parts such as shafts, pulleys, and belts. Workers face risks of entanglement, crush injuries, and rollovers. Inspect all machinery for missing guards, faulty brakes, or poor visibility. Noise is also a significant issue here. Prolonged use of loud machinery can cause permanent hearing loss. You must identify noise levels that exceed the exposure standards set out in the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (WHS Regulations).

Chemical Storage and Handling Agricultural chemicals like pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers are toxic. These substances can cause poisoning, burns, and chronic respiratory problems. Check your storage sheds. Are chemicals kept in their original containers? Are they stored away from personal protective equipment and food? Look for leaks, expired products, or decaying labels. You must refer to the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for every substance on site. The SDS provides essential information on safe handling, storage, and first aid. Failure to store chemicals correctly can lead to environmental contamination and serious health breaches.

Manual Handling Farm work involves physical labour that puts strain on the body. Lifting heavy livestock feed, handling animals, or working in awkward postures while fixing fences are all manual handling hazards. These tasks can lead to musculoskeletal disorders like back injuries and sprains. Look for tasks requiring repetitive movement, sustained awkward posture, or sudden force. When identifying these hazards, consider the layout of your farm. Are items stored at heights that require unsafe reaching?

Electricity and Structures Check workshops and buildings for exposed wiring or damaged switches. Overhead powerlines near silos or sheds pose a significant electrocution risk during maintenance or loading. Dams, irrigation channels, and grain silos also present specific drowning or asphyxiation risks.

You must document your findings. Use a checklist or a hazard register to record what you find. This written record proves you are meeting your legal obligations under the WHS Regulations. Consult with your workers during this process. They often know the specific risks of their daily jobs better than anyone else. Regularly review this list, especially when you buy new equipment or change work practices.

Use this risk matrix to work out the danger level for every hazard you find on your farm. You must look at how bad the injury could be and the chances of it happening. Australian law states you must eliminate risks so far as is reasonably practicable. If you cannot remove the risk, you must minimise it. This matrix helps you decide which controls are needed first.

Start with the Consequence score. Look at the potential outcome if an incident occurs and give it a number from 1 to 5.

1. Insignificant requires first aid only.
2. Minor requires medical treatment.
3. Moderate requires hospitalisation.
4. Major causes permanent injury or illness.
5. Catastrophic causes death.

Next, look at the Likelihood. Consider how often the task happens and the exposure to the hazard. Give it a letter from A to E.

A. Rare might happen once in 20 years. B. Unlikely might happen once in 5 years. C. Possible might happen once a year. D. Likely might happen once a month. E. Almost Certain happens daily or every shift.

Combine your score and letter on the table to find the Risk Rating.

If the result is Low, the risk is small. You should monitor the hazard to make sure it does not get worse. Basic precautions might be enough.

If the result is Medium, the risk is significant. You must take action to lower the danger. Do not ignore it. Put controls in place and check them regularly.

If the result is High, the risk is serious. You must act immediately to stop work or fix the problem. High risks require strict controls. The hierarchy of controls found in the Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks says you must try to eliminate the hazard first.

This process satisfies your duty under the Work Health and Safety Act to manage risks. It also helps you meet Safe Work Australia standards. For farm vehicles or specific equipment, check relevant Australian Standards for extra guidance. Always review your ratings when work practices change or after a near miss.

Control Measures for Hazardous Machinery (e.g., Tractors and Equipment)

When you assess the risks associated with farm machinery, you must apply the hierarchy of controls. This ranking system starts with the most effective solutions and works down to the least effective. Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and corresponding state legislation, you have a primary duty of care to eliminate risks so far as is reasonably practicable. If you cannot remove the hazard completely, you must minimise the risk using the highest level of control possible.

Elimination The most effective control is to physically remove the hazard. In a farming context, this means getting rid of the dangerous machinery or task entirely. For example, you might eliminate the need for a specific piece of heavy equipment by changing your farming practices to manual labour for small jobs or outsourcing the task to a specialised contractor with safer equipment. If a machine is obsolete and lacks essential safety features, the safest option is to scrap it rather than attempt to modify it.

Substitution If elimination is not possible, substitute the hazard with something safer. This involves replacing the machinery or the substance causing the harm. You might replace a noisy petrol generator with a quieter diesel model to reduce noise risks. Alternatively, you could substitute a hazardous chemical used in equipment maintenance with a less toxic, biodegradable alternative. Consider replacing older tractors lacking modern safety devices with newer models that have rollover protective structures (ROPS) integrated into the design.

Engineering Controls Engineering controls involve physical changes to the work environment or equipment to isolate people from the hazard. This does not rely on human behaviour. You must install guards on all moving parts like power take-off shafts and chains. Fit Roll-Over Protective Structures (ROPS) and seatbelts to all tractors, as required by standards such as AS 1636 - Roll-over protective structures (ROPS) for earthmoving machinery. Ensure your equipment has adequate shielding to prevent entanglement.

Administrative Controls These controls change the way people work. They are less effective because they rely on human compliance. You must develop Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) for high-risk activities. Implement a strict maintenance schedule based on the manufacturer’s recommendations. Ensure all workers undergo induction training and hold relevant High Risk Work Licences where required by the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011. Clearly mark exclusion zones around moving machinery and enforce a "no passenger" policy on tractors and other mobile plant.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) PPE is the least effective control because it does not stop the hazard from occurring. It only reduces the impact if an incident happens. Use PPE as a last line of defence. You must supply appropriate PPE to workers at no cost. This includes high-visibility clothing, steel-capped boots, hearing protection, and impact-rated eye protection. Ensure all PPE meets relevant Australian Standards, such as AS/NZS 1336 for eye protection, and train workers on how to fit, use, and maintain it correctly.

ACTION PLAN

This Action Plan serves as the backbone of your safety management system. A risk assessment is useless if you do not act on the findings. Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and corresponding state legislation, a person conducting a business or undertaking must eliminate risks so far as is reasonably practicable. If elimination is not possible, you must minimise the risks. This table helps you document those steps and proves you are proactive about safety.

You must assign a specific person to every task. Accountability is essential in a small business. If everyone is responsible, often no one is responsible. The designated person must have the authority, knowledge, and resources to complete the action. For example, only a competent person should inspect electrical equipment or complex machinery.

Target dates must be realistic. Do not set a date for next year if the risk is immediate. High priority risks require immediate attention. Setting a date creates a deadline and ensures the task does not get forgotten. Regularly review this plan during staff meetings to track progress.

When you describe the action required, be specific. Vague descriptions lead to poor outcomes. Instead of writing "fix machinery," write "install emergency stop button on the roller." This clarity helps the person responsible understand exactly what is required. It also helps if you must provide evidence of compliance to a SafeWork inspector during an investigation.

Use the hierarchy of controls to guide your actions. The Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks outlines this approach. Start by trying to eliminate the hazard. If you cannot eliminate it, look for substitution, isolation, or engineering controls before you rely on administrative controls or Personal Protective Equipment. PPE should be your last line of defence, not your first.

Keep this Action Plan accessible. It should be a living document. As you complete tasks, update the status. If you identify new hazards during the process, add them to the table immediately. In the event of an incident, this document provides a record of your efforts to maintain a safe workplace. This can be vital for legal defence and insurance purposes. Review the plan at least annually or whenever there is a change in workplace practices.