Snowy River Myth Costing Lives

The man from Snowy River still stands between rural workers and their safety, according to Australian Workers Union Central West President Mick Madden.

As National Rural Safety Week takes place, Madden warns that rural workers are putting the image of the akubra-wearing stockman ahead of their own safety.

"The attitude is if I'm riding a horse I'm wearing a hat, not a helmet," Madden said.

He said despite more information being available on rural safety, the figures were not improving.

Madden said a rural worker was killed on the job every 26 days five years ago. Last year that statistic was once every 23 days.

"That's after 40,000 rural jobs have been lost because of the drought. If those jobs were still there the number of deaths would be a lot bigger."

Madden said the key to improving rural safety was to force workers and employers to change their attitudes.

One way the AWU has tried to do this is through the Noll-Croker Rural Farm Safety Award.

The award encourages workers to talk about safety issues in a constructive way.

Guide for Farm Safety Launched

The NSW Government this week released a farm safety guide to help rural workers and their employees identify and address safety risks.

The publication provides farmers with tools to map hazards; identify potential dangers for their workers and family; store and use chemicals safely; and control the risks unique to their industry.

The Farm Safety Starter Guide is available through WorkCover's Publications Hotline on 1300 799 003 or on the website www.workcover.nsw.gov.au

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Last modified: Tuesday, 15-Nov-2005 20:37:35 EST