Farm safety calendar has lessons for all

The Queensland Government's 2020 farm safety calendar competition has kicked off with Safety Ambassador and proud farmer Shane Webcke urging kids and their families, especially those who live on the land, to get involved!

The competition website features a short film of Shane encouraging teachers, youngsters and their families to “get your kids to sharpen their pencils, it's time to draw and colour a picture to illustrate a farm safety message!”

And the messages this year are as important as ever with several serious injuries on rural properties a grim reminder of just how important the calendar themes are.One person recently suffered fatal injuries while handling a horse and two were killed just this month while using quad bikes—a man in his 20s near Kingaroy and a young woman near Ayr.

These types of incidents are too common on farms, which is why two of the themes of this year's calendar are:

• Animals can be unpredictable. Respect their size and strength and learn how to work with them safely.
• Quad bikes are a great tool, but they are not a toy. Ride ready—wear a helmet, never double, kids only use a kid-sized bike, get training, and ride on well-known tracks.

All primary school students are urged to get involved in the competition this year and have a go. Not only will the winning drawings help spread safety messages and save lives, but the lucky winners also receive a $250 voucher and $500 for their school.

The competition website has all the entry details, as well as resources for teachers and parents highlighting this year's safety messages and why drawing and being connected are even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a gallery of last year's winning entries and you can even pre-order the 2021 calendar.

The agriculture industry employs around three per cent of Queensland's workers,but it accounts for more than 30 per cent of workplace deaths. The industry has long had a high workplace death and injury rate, with farm vehicles prominent in the statistics.

Once it's distributed across the state, the calendar puts key safety messages prominently on display in homes and workplaces all through the year, reminding Queenslanders of all ages to work and play safely on farm properties.

Last year's competition received more than 1700 entries, raising awareness among primary school children and their communities of common hazards on farms and other rural properties. A total of 35,000 calendars were distributed throughout Queensland as a year-round reminder of the importance of farm safety.

Further information

Everything you need to enter is at www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/