A near miss that “could have been a death” has changed the way nearby poultry farmer Brad Vinecombe thinks about safety, and he is urging other farmers to stop and reassess before pushing on.
Mr Vinecombe, who manages millions of chickens across large-scale poultry operations, says the experience made him question behaviours he had accepted throughout his career and the example he wanted to set for the next generation.
“It was just a standard day on the farm, but afterwards I realised I’d taken safety for granted,” Mr Vinecombe said.
“It made me completely reassess the way I approach every job.”
He understands the pressures that come with modern farming but says experience has taught him no deadline is worth compromising safety.
“Sometimes the safest decision is simply to stop and reassess,” he said.
“Slowing down doesn’t mean you’re falling behind.”
“More often than not, it’s what gets everyone home safely.”
Growing up in agriculture, Mr Vinecombe says many of the behaviours he witnessed were simply accepted as part of farming life. Now, with a young family of his own, he believes it is time to break that cycle.
“I grew up seeing people push through fatigue, rush jobs and just get on with it because that’s what farmers did,” he said.
“Now I’ve got a young family waiting for me at home, I see things differently.”
“I can’t change the examples I grew up with, but I can choose the example I set now.”
He believes some of the greatest risks on farms are not always the obvious ones.
“Routine environments have hidden risks because it’s easy to think, ‘I’ve done this a million times before,'” he said.
“That’s when complacency starts to creep in.”
He also wants younger workers to play their part in creating safer farms.
“We need experienced people setting the right example, but we also need younger workers to speak up if something doesn’t look right,” he said.
“Safety should never be something you’re afraid to question.”
Farmsafe Australia Chair Felicity Richards said Mr Vinecombe’s story highlighted an important shift taking place across Australian agriculture.
“Many of the safety habits people learn on farms are passed from one generation to the next,” Ms Richards said.
“The opportunity we have today is to make sure we’re passing on the right ones.”
“Taking a moment to reassess, speaking up when something doesn’t feel right and choosing the safer option aren’t signs of slowing down. They’re signs of strong leadership.”
‘Set the Standard: Show ’em how it’s done’, Farmsafe Australia’s National Farm Safety Week campaign, runs from Sunday, 19 July to Saturday, 25 July.
For more information and resources, visit farmsafe.org.au.
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