Farming in Australia

Farming consistently ranks as one of the most dangerous industries to work in. Farmers work:

• in the elements
• with large animals
• with chemicals
• with heavy machinery
• at heights and in confined spaces
• with heavy loads
• alone and in remote locations

Farmers and their families are also at increased risk of depression and anxiety.

How do I stay healthy as a farmer?

Farmers don't do as much physical activity as they used to. You need to include daily exercise to be more active and stay healthy.

Here are some things you can do every day that can help you stay healthy:

• Do some stretches before you start work and throughout the day.
• Walk and leave the quad bike in the shed — the more steps you take the greater the benefit.

Have a medical check-up if you are:

• over 35 years old AND
• have a pre-existing illness OR
• haven't done much physical activity for a while

Other things you can do to help you stay healthy include:

• sun protection — wear hats, sunscreen and clothing that protects you from the sun
• if you work with animals, consider getting vaccinated against Q-fever

Looking after yourself is part of looking after your farm.

What types of physical injuries can happen on a farm?

There are many dangers on farms that can cause injury. These include:

• agricultural machinery like tractors and harvesters
• snakes, ticks and venomous spiders
• chemicals
• dams and creeks
• electrical fencing
• fire and floods
• rifles and guns

Farmers also often work alone in remote places without mobile phone coverage or access to first aid.

Quad bikes and tractors are a major cause of death and serious injury in rural workplaces.

Avoiding accidents

Avoiding accidents is an important part of farming. Makes sure you know how to:

• use a quad bike safely
• use a tractor and other machinery safely
• handle farm animals
• store guns safely

It's important to know what you will do in an emergency. Safe Work Australia has information on preparing emergency plans and procedures.

Child safety on farms

It's never too early to learn about farm safety.

In Australia, about 10 children are fatally injured on farms each year. A further 500 children are hospitalised.

You can read more about Parenting in the country on the Pregnancy, Birth and Baby website.

Go to the Resources and support section for further information on child safety on farms.

Mental health on farms

Farmers are more likely to have depression and anxiety than other people. More than 1 in every 2 farmers thinks that mental health is a problem or concern in their local community.

This can be due to the pressures of farming, together with withstanding challenges like bush fires, floods and droughts.

Your mental health may also be affected by:

• concern about the future of farming
• financial concerns
• family problems
• difficulty finding and keeping good workers
• isolation

Farmers are often good at helping others but not so good at seeking help for themselves.

It can be hard to get mental health support if you are living on a farm. So, it's important to stay connected with other farmers, particularly in tough times. This can be by phone, at community events or by dropping in to help with farm work.

In Australia, the suicide rate among farmers is nearly 2 times higher than for non-farmers. If you, or someone you know, is experiencing depression or anxiety, then it's important to get help. You can find a list of resources at the bottom of this page.

How can I access medical health services and treatment?

Accessing health services and treatment in rural and remote areas can often be difficult. For some people, this has been made easier by the advent of telehealth.

Telehealth describes medical appointments that happen with the help of a range of technologies, such as:

• phone
• FaceTime
• video conferencing

My Health Record can help you communicate better with your doctors, health services, specialists and hospitals.

For non-urgent advice you can call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Find out here about rural and remote health and services in your state or territory.

Resources and support

The National Centre for Farmer Health has:

• information and advice for farmers and their families
• information about staying fit on the farm
• a health assessment tool to assist with health and wellbeing

Farmsafe Australia has advice on staying safe on farms.

Child health and safety on farms

• The National Centre for Farmer Health has activity sheets for children about farm safety.
• Farmsafe Australia has information and resources for parents and teachers.
• Kids Helpline is a free and confidential online and phone counselling service. It's available for young people aged 5 to 25 years, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can call them on 1800 55 1800.
• ReachOut is an online mental health service for young people and their parents.

Mental health advice and support

The following organisations offer mental health advice and support:

• Beyond Blue offers mental health advice and support, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 1300 22 4636.
• Lifeline offers 24-hour crisis support. Call 13 11 14.
• ifarmwell supports Australian farmers to cope with life's challenges.
• For advice and to get connected to local mental health services, you can call the Australian Government's Head to Health on 1800 595 212.
• Taking Stock aims to support rural communities and farmers.

healthdirect has more information on rural and mental health.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.