A well-structured safety induction sets the tone for your farm’s safety culture. It ensures that all employees, contractors and seasonal workers understand the specific risks of your operation, and how to work safely from day one of harvest.
Why Inductions Matter
Harvest presents unique hazards such as heavy machinery, chemicals, vehicles and remote work. A comprehensive induction helps prevent incidents by ensuring workers know:
- The rules and expectations on-site.
- How to identify and report hazards.
- What to do in an emergency.
- Who to speak to about safety concerns.
Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA), every Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) has a duty to provide workers with the information, training and instruction needed to carry out their work safely. A proper induction is one of the best ways to meet this requirement.
What to Include
A good harvest safety induction should cover:
- Farm overview: layout, restricted areas and high-risk zones.
- Key contacts: supervisors, first aid officers and emergency numbers.
- Emergency procedures: fire plans, evacuations and injury response.
- Hazard awareness: machinery, vehicles, chemicals and weather conditions.
- Safe work procedures: PPE requirements, manual handling and isolated/ remote work procedures.
- Health and wellbeing: fatigue, heat stress and mental health awareness.
Each induction should also include a sign-off and record confirming the worker understands and agrees to follow your farm’s safety policies.
ProcessWorxShield simplifies safety inductions for busy farms. With Shield, you can:
- Assign and track induction completion for each worker or contractor.
- Keep records of signed policies and procedures, meaning no more lost paperwork.
- Update safety information quickly when operations or equipment changes.
That means less time chasing forms and more confidence that everyone on your farm knows how to work safely before they start work.
Want to learn more about harvest safety? Check out episode 21 of our Let’s Chat HR & Safety Podcast, Let’s Chat Managing Stress and Fatigue during Harvest.
If you’d like to learn how ProcessWorx can assist with Work Health & Safety, please contact us on 08 9316 9896 or enquiries@processworx.com.au. Also watch an Introduction to ProcessWorx.
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