BM
This is a West Wimmera Health Service podcast. Presented by me Brigitte Muir.
This series focuses around stories and issues related to health and wellbeing. Some of the people we hear from are sharing their stories, hoping that their experiences will help us with our own health and wellbeing. Please be aware that some of their life experiences may touch on issues that are sensitive to some. Please listen with care. You will find information on seeking help if you need it in the notes attached to each episode.
Jessie Adams grew up on a beef farm in northeast Victoria, helping the family until she went to University in Melbourne. Now working on her PhD and working as a research assistant at the National Centre for Farmer Health in Hamilton. She is very well placed to look at an essential part of farm safety.
JA
My PhD is looking at… kind of exploring what's happening on farms in regards to children. So, we've undertaken… well I did a Delphi process first with a group of experts that helped develop two surveys. So, one for parents and one for children.
BM
What is a Delphi process?
JA
These panel of experts go through a few rounds… so we did three rounds, where they rate… were rating questions on whether they should be included or excluded from the final product… that ended up in two surveys one for parents, one for children, which were exploring children's exposure to farming hazards, risk taking behaviours, their use of safety measures, and then any experience of farm injury. So yeah, those surveys have shown us, I guess, what we kind of already knew was happening on farms, but no research has really looked into children's common behaviours on farm. You know that, that children out on the farm from really young age, parents are taking them out or they're completing work. In regards to children working on farms, I think it was over 90% were working on their family farm and they were starting before the age of 10, which was really interesting.
BM
I also hear that hear in Australia, the… percentage of accidents that happens on farm is higher than… the percentage of workplace accidents generally, how much of that involves children?
JA
The agriculture industry has the highest worker fatality rate per 100,000 workers. So it's a very dangerous industry. And then, yeah, so then you add children in which is not normally… the typical workplace, I suppose. But the children for the last at least 20 years have represented 15% of all farm related fatality. And that's remained consistent. We also know the key hazards causing these have also remained consistent. That is waterbodies, quarterbacks, tractors, utes and cars, motorbikes and horses.
BM
Moving things.
JA
Yeah.
BM
Okay. So it should be pretty simple to reduce the risks.
JA
There's so many factors… that… I guess it comes back to mainly the lifestyle and traditions that farming has, it's really an intergenerational thing where your parents pass down the farm to you and their behaviours… and methods. And there's… well typically …there's not as much learning… from more professional places, it's more passed down through … the same methods are used and same attitudes. So it's just about kind of introducing those new things… and new technologies and safety's always changing. And so it needs to change behaviours a bit.
BM
It's all about education, isn't it?
JA
Yeah, making people aware of… maybe other methods that they could be doing… just to make things a little bit safer, because obviously, children are always going to be on the farm, and it is a great way to grow up … but just needs to be as safe as possible.
BM
One thing that all those children have in common, is that they all go to school. So, would it be an option to have a farm safety for children in rural schools as part of the curriculum?
JA
Yes, definitely. That's something to look into. Here at the National Centre for Farmer Health, we have a Gear Up for Ag program, which is for the higher end of school, teaching them about farm safety. But I think it's also worthwhile in primary school… as like the results of my surveys suggest children are starting work before they're 10, so, it's probably important to target them… as they're beginning work. But there's also a bit of research showing that education might not be the sole way… to improve it. So that's one way that behaviours can be changed.
BM
What are the other ways?
JA
Well, I think… I'm not too sure, which is where the challenge lies, but I mean, regulations probably a bit of a challenge… in farming. It's mainly on private property. So that's a bit … maybe not …too much…
BM
People don't like to be told what to do….
JA
No… definitely not. So, there's the hierarchy of control, where you can go through… this… through the hierarchy to try and find the safest method for you, which is compulsory for people to implement in workplaces. So elimination, but that might not be, obviously, an option with children on farms, and it goes through to substation, engineering controls, so there’s those kinds of things might be something to look at before we get to something like administrative controls, which is probably where education would fit in.
BM
I know there are programs that deal with OHS on farms, and that these are free for farmers. Is… do you know if there is a component on children in those programs?
JA
I think there's farming checklists you can do to kind of go around your farm, the 15 Minute checklist. And I don't think there's questions that really focus parents, I guess I'm considering how they could make that environment safer.
BM
Because… children …under 10 years old are not supposed to be working on farms.
JA
No…Yeah. So they’re probably not considered in those kind of workplaces documents…
BM
Right. And they certainly should be shouldn’t they, yeah, because it's all about saving their lives.
JA
Anecdotally, in Australia, we've known that children are helping on farms, and you know, it's part of the lifestyle. So I guess we just need to… now accept that that's what's happening, and look at it in a way to try and improve their safety.
BM
It's a financial reality as well, isn't it?
JA
Yeah. Yeah. So parents might not be employing workers, instead just relying on their kids. The results of the survey also showed children… time… on the farm is increased during those seasons during … on the farm when it is busier and also school holidays.
BM
Once again, I think it's fairly normal. Parents have got a business, you're going to be helping there.
JA
Yeah, yeah. Childcare…
BM
It makes sense
JA
Yeah, yeah…it makes it a real challenge
BM
Yes. What would be your advice to parents… whether they're new parents, with young children, or with teenagers… to increase the safety of their offspring’s on the farm?
JA
Well, I think it is a real challenge, and it's probably different farm to farm. But I think in general, open communication and talking about… all the hazards on the farm and pointing it out constantly. So open discussions is really important. And starting that from a young age, and then role modelling their behaviours is also really important. So it's hard to ask your kid to wear a helmet if you're… don't think that you need to, but then… it obviously changes as a child gets older. So developmentally appropriate tasks and activities… and that would change depending on the child ‘cause two children will be different, so it needs to be at their level, younger children need to have a safe play area, that kind of thing… constant supervision. Then as they get older, introducing those developmentally appropriate tasks while still supervising.
BM
There's a lot of common sense in everything that you're saying. But if people are genuinely interested in having more information, and in changing their behaviour, what can they do? Is there some information they can access?
JA
Actually, recently, the Victorian Farmers Federation has developed a guide… a handbook for children on farm… to help parents work out what their kids should be doing. So I think that's probably a really good start, to have a look at.
BM
Sounds like a great idea.
JA
Yeah
BM
And they can always call you and ask you questions.
BM & JA
(laughter)
JA
Yes… yeah they can, they can (laughter)
BM
You haven't finished your PhD have you? (laughter)
JA
No not yet. Yeah.
BM
Well, thank you so much for talking with me this morning, Jessie. It's been wonderful. Learning more about what's happening on farms.
JA
That's it. Thank you so much for having me.
BM
That was Jessie Adams from the National Centre for Farmer Health in Hamilton.
You will find as always contact numbers and details in the notes attached to this episode. And while you're at it, please give us a star rating. We'd also love to hear your comments and suggestions. Our Facebook and Twitter details are in the notes. Until next have a healthy life won’t you.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai edited by the WWHS Health Promotion Team.