Farm Safety & Wellbeing

Farm safety and wellbeing covers the systems, policies and procedures that keep everyone on a dairy farm physically safe and mentally well. A safe, healthy farm protects people first — and a business that looks after its people is more productive and easier to staff. 

Under work health and safety law, a farm business must do what is reasonably practicable to keep the workplace safe — physically and mentally — for employees, contractors and visitors. State WHS regulators maintain the detailed legal requirements; the resources in this section support a farm to meet them in a practical, dairy-specific way. 

Common questions

What does farm safety and wellbeing cover?

It covers the systems, policies and procedures that keep everyone on a dairy farm physically safe and mentally well — from building a safety system and setting workplace policies to documenting how tasks are done and supporting health and wellbeing. 

Is a dairy farm legally required to manage work health and safety?

Yes. Under work health and safety law, a farm business must do what is reasonably practicable to keep the workplace physically and mentally safe for everyone. State WHS regulators maintain the detailed requirements.

Where should a farm start with safety

A practical starting point is the Farm Safety Starter Kit, which provides checklists and quick scans to assess the farm, record what is already in place, and build an action plan.