WorkSafe targets WA farms in inspection blitz after worker deaths

WorkSafe investigators are set to carry out blitz inspections on more than a dozen WA agricultural farms after two work-related deaths at farming properties in recent weeks. The West Australian can reveal that starting Monday, WorkSafe investigators will begin a fresh inspection blitz of market gardens as well as cucumber and strawberry farms to make sure workers and employers are complying with safety regulations. Farms located near Perth, Albany, Esperance and Geraldton can expect to be inspected. It’s anticipated as many as 15 properties will be looked at. WorkSafe bosses have brought forward the inspection program in the wake of two deaths on farming properties since mid-November. On November 12, Malaysian contract worker Edward Wong, 37, was killed at a Bullsbrook strawberry farm when he was crushed by machinery attached to a tractor. Then on November 27, Thi Hga Huynh, who was aged in her 60s, was killed at her son Michael Le’s Carabooda property when she was struck by an orange tractor. And while both deaths are still under investigation, WorkSafe director Iain Dainty described the tragedies as “incredibly sad” and “entirely preventable”. He said the new inspection program would not only focus on the use of machinery and electrical equipment at farming properties, but also any effects COVID might be having on businesses. “The inspectors will provide advice and guidance and they will absolutely write up (safety) notices or give directions when required,” Mr Dainty said. “But they are going in there also with the mind of whether things like COVID has affected their ability to get workers. “With our borders being closed, I am interested to see whether that has had an effect on their ability to have a sustainable workforce.” Mr Dainty said he hoped the inspection regime would prove to be a useful information and fact-gathering exercise. He said it was important also for farming businesses not to “frightened” of the investigators coming. “We hate these tragedies happening as much as anybody else does,” he said. “Obviously if we see things that are wrong we will take some sort of corrective action. “But we don’t want them (the businesses) to be frightened of us coming because this is really an information-gathering exercise so that we can all do better.”