Farming Safety and How Agriculture Flourishes with Proper Inspection

All those involved in the farming and agriculture industry know that good times do not always last. So how do you prepare for bad crop years, illnesses in livestock, or machinery incidents you did not see coming? Farming safety inspection has long been the way that those in agriculture choose to mitigate future risks to the best of their ability. With mobile devices, farming safety has today reached a new level of occupational welfare: machinery becomes safer to use and future incidents can at times be completely avoided.

The Stakes Are High in Australian Agriculture

As one of the backbones of many nations and local economies around the globe, agriculture is a keystone part of society. Unfortunately, even with all the best tools, machinery, and workforce, sometimes bad years are unavoidable. Things happen that take their toll on profitability, safety, and future operations. For farmers, this can be devastating in an industry where organisations operate with fine margins. Many are therefore looking for ways to improve knowledge and information in order to predict future events and reduce unnecessary incidents.

When mother nature is making things difficult, the last thing anyone needs is for machinery or equipment to fail due to improper maintenance. Farmers and those in the agricultural industry are hence turning to technology to try to solve some of their issues. For farming safety, digital inspection is fast becoming the go-to solution to help improve the safety of a location, operation, or workforce.

How Digital Inspection Supports Agricultural Safety

Alongside standards set by best practice and industry regulators, digital inspection is allowing for detailed checking of processes and assets to reduce the risk of operations. In Australia, the farming industry is supported by national, state/territory, and local legislation that helps set the rules for safe farming. Often these prove sufficient along with best practice, but at times independent standards such as those published by Standards Australia aid the industry further.

Standards Australia publishes regulations such as AS 5340:2020, "Livestock loading/unloading ramps and forcing pens", to help minimise the chance of an accident. These standards rely on farmers being able to apply them in the right way. Organisations such as Standards Australia are now making it increasingly easy and suitable to use digital inspection platforms to make checks in line with their regulations as effectively as possible.

Key Areas for Farming Safety Inspection

• Machinery pre-start checks: Tractors, harvesters, spray equipment, and other powered machinery require systematic pre-start inspection before each operation, documenting fluid levels, tyre condition, safety guards, and control functionality
• Chemical storage and handling: Pesticides, herbicides, and fertilisers must be stored and handled in compliance with label requirements and WHS regulations; digital inspections ensure storage conditions are regularly verified
• Livestock facilities: Yards, ramps, loading facilities, and housing must be inspected for structural integrity, electrical safety, and animal welfare compliance
• Irrigation infrastructure: Pump stations, pipelines, and water storage require regular inspection to prevent failures that could damage crops or create safety hazards
• Worker safety equipment: Personal protective equipment, first aid facilities, and emergency response equipment must be inspected and maintained to required standards

The ability to customise inspection checklists means that each farm's unique combination of machinery types, livestock species, crop varieties, and operational processes can be reflected in tailored inspection forms. When new equipment is purchased or new activities commence, the asset management platform can be updated to include the new checks, ensuring no aspect of the operation is overlooked in the safety program.