Safety Line For The Bush

Unions and employers have combined forces to stem the alarming number of rural workplace deaths, with a new hotline to give advice on safe work practices to be launched this week.

The Deputy Convenor of the NSW Parliamentary Country Labor
Group, the Hon Janelle Saffin, MLC, will launch a rural safety hotline on Sunday, 16 July, in conjunction with National Farm Safety Week.

The launch will take place at the Pelican Sheep Station, Braidwood Road, Goulburn, at 3.00pm.

The free hotline service, which is an initiative of the NSW Rural Industry Reference Group, is made up of unions and employers and will provide the latest occupational health and safety information for people working in rural industries.

The Rural Industry Reference Group was one of 13 specific industry groups established by the NSW Workers Compensation Advisory Council as part of major changes to the WorkPlace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act of 1998.

Terry O'Connor, a union organiser with the AWU, will be speaking at the launch. Terry is a professional shearer with over 28 years' experience and is classed as one of the best "gun shearers" in the industry. He has won shearing championships at regional, state, national and international levels. In his role as a teacher/trainer he enjoys passing on his knowledge of the art and techniques of shearing, with many of his students going on to achieve success as professional shearers and competition winners.

Terry, who as a shearer works in a high risk industry, said: "There is a great deal of apathy towards safety in the bush, and we need to change this culture, not only to reduce costs but more importantly to save lives and stop people, sadly many of whom are quite young, from being permanently maimed or killed.

"The recent statistics released by the National Occupational Health & Safety Commission indicated that two workers die each week on Australian farms. 35 bystanders, mainly children, die. 18 visitors are killed each year. Over 1,000 workers suffer serious and permanent injury.

"It is all our interests to turn around these devastating statistics which have a major impact on our community and families, particularly when they lose a spouse or a child, a family member or friend.

The information hotline which is being launched on Sunday, will encourage both employers and employees to seek advice on how to make their workplaces safer.

The Hotline Number is 1800 300 377.

For further information

Contact	:	Mary Yaager
Phone	:	02 9264 1691
Email	:	m.yaager@labor.org.au
WWW	:	http://ohs.labor.net.au/

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