National Farm Safety Week Highlights Ongoing Toll

As National Farm Safety Week gets underway, Farmsafe Australia has launched its 2026 Safer Farms Report alongside a national campaign encouraging every person in agriculture to recognise the influence they have on the people around them.

The report reveals 53 people lost their lives and another 182 were seriously injured on Australian farms last year. Since 2019, 427 people have died in farm-related incidents, averaging more than one fatality every week for seven consecutive years.

Farmsafe Australia Chair Felicity Richards says most incidents occur during routine tasks or busy periods, when fatigue and time pressure can lead to shortcuts. She says the standards farmers demonstrate every day often become the standards others follow.

Tractors, side-by-sides and quad bikes continue to be the leading causes of on-farm fatalities, with the campaign encouraging simple measures such as wearing helmets, buckling seatbelts, reducing speed and using rollover protection.

This year's theme, Set the Standard: Show 'em how it's done, will see six Safer Farmers Ambassadors share practical advice throughout the week, encouraging stronger safety cultures across Australian agriculture through everyday actions and leadership.