Farm Safety Week 2026: Set the standard, show ‘em how it’s done
By Laura Thomas
The power of on-farm role modelling, leadership and the everyday decisions are core of this year’s National Farm Safety Week message.
The safety campaign is set to launch on Sunday, with a focus on the role we all play in shaping what is viewed as “normal” on the farm.
Led by Farmsafe Australia, the campaign will shine a spotlight on the way on-farm tasks are done, as farms continue to present a very real risk to life and limb.
“… whether it’s cutting corners or doing it properly, is being watched and picked up by those around us,” Farmsafe Australia said in a Facebook post.
“This campaign is about leading by example, calling out the small decisions that matter, and showing what safe, practical farming actually looks like in real life.”
According to Rural Media Farm Injury Dashboard data at the time of publication, 21 lives had been lost and 74 injuries sustained on Australian farms so far this year.
Farmsafe Australia chair Felicity Richards reiterated the importance of workplace safety in the bush during an interview on The Weekly Grill podcast earlier this month.
“… it’s always heartbreaking to report (farm fatalities) … there’s no easy way to say it, they’re loves ones lost and they are, for Farmsafe, one of the reasons we’re so dedicated to continuing,” Ms Richards said.
She said statistics continued to fluctuate, with quad bikes, side‑by‑sides vehicles and tractors consistently the “primary agents of fatality”.
“… they are all essential tools of trade but they also carry enormous risk that people need to be really cognisant of and really proactive about addressing.”
Follow the 2026 campaign online from Sunday
National Farm Safety Week is being held across Australia from 19 – 25 July.
Read more on the Farmsafe Australia website, or follow along via Facebook and Instagram, as campaign resources, stories, ambassador profiles and ways to get involved in the nation-wide event are released throughout the week.
Revisit one Victorian olive grower’s serious near-miss, on the AOA website
Take a look back on our 2025 piece with Victorian olive grove manager Cameron Bennett, who was lucky to survive a side-by-side rollover after rushing off to check a water pump.
It’s something we have all done when we’re under the pump and looking to finish up after a long day.
Cameron’s message was simple – don’t let complacency be your undoing.
Follow this link to read the full story.
Sources:
Farmsafe Australia
The Weekly Grill podcast
Rural Media Farm Injury Dashboard
australianolives.com.au
Image: Richard Bell, Unsplash