Our priority is always to support farmers with improving on-farm safety and helping prevent incidents before they occur.
WorkSafe Victoria is conducting proactive farm safety visits, with a clear focus on high-risk areas when handling cattle. These visits are about supporting our farmers to identify risks, improve systems, and ultimately protecting yourself, family, workers, and your livelihood.
What You Need to Know About WorkSafe Strategic Prevention Visit Program
WorkSafe visits are educational and supportive aiming to help farmers identify hazards, build their knowledge of on-farm safety and get practical guidance on how to reduce and manage risks.
Inspectors will generally focus on:
- Cattle handling infrastructure like ramps, crushes, and drafting areas
- Quad Bikes & Side by Side use when mustering cattle
- Loading and unloading procedures
- Training and supervision of workers and family members
These visits are part of the Safer Cattle Handling Project, which has already included 75+ visits across the state and key issues found have been related to yard condition, ramp safety, or lack of documented training.
How MOFS Can Help You Get Ready
We know that safety can feel overwhelming, especially when juggling demands. That’s why the Making Our Farms Safer (MOFS) team is here to support you.
Start with the WorkSafe Cattle Handling Safety Checklist – we can provide you with a tailored version. Ask yourself:
- Are my cattle yards, races, and loading ramps well-maintained and designed to minimise animal stress and human risk?
- Are cattle handling practices consistent with low-stress stock handling principles and do my workers understand safe animal behaviour techniques?
- Are mobile plant and vehicles used in cattle handling operations — such as side-by-sides or utility vehicles — well-maintained, fit for purpose, and operated by trained personnel?
If you’re unsure where to start, we can come out and walk through it with you.
We’ve Been Focused on this for a While
The VFF and the MOFS team, have been talking about cattle yard safety for years.
It’s not just about ticking boxes, it’s about keeping people safe. Whether it’s safe ramp standards, gate placement, or cattle handling training, we’re here to help.
Recent articles in regional newspapers have drawn attention to these visits and the risks they aim to address. If you want to get your farm prepared for a visit or have had a visit and need to make some safety improvements, there is support for this available!
Want Us to Visit or Speak at Your Event?
We’re more than happy to attend field days, workshops, and local events.
If you’re hosting or planning something, let us know, we can provide resources, run sessions, or just have a conversation over a cuppa.
Let’s Keep Making Our Farms Safer
We’re calling on all cattle producers to take proactive steps now, not just because inspectors are out and about, but because we all want to make it home safely at the end of the day.
To get your safety checklist, arrange a visit, or just have a chat, contact the MOFS team at the VFF: https://www.makingourfarmssafer.org.au/