EVERY farmer in every corner of Australia knows the feeling.
The clouds are rolling in, the last bin is still waiting, the kids are due home, and the machinery’s playing up.
It’s the kind of pressure that defines farming, but can also derail even the best-laid plans.
As National Farm Safety Week continues, Farmsafe Australia is urging farmers to pause and consider how pressure, especially during peak seasons, is undermining safety and creating a perfect storm for near misses and serious incidents.
Farmsafe Australia chair Felicity Richards said pressure is part of farming life, but the real danger comes when that pressure replaces planning.
“We see it time and again: a rushed job, a last-minute decision, a corner cut ‘just this once’. And too often, that becomes the moment where something goes seriously wrong,” Mrs Richards said.
As farmers shared stories in the lead-up to the Farm Safety Week campaign, pressure was identified as a recurring theme.
These were moments where fatigue, deadlines, weather events, or simply a sense of being behind schedule led to compromised decisions, with consequences that could easily have turned tragic.
“Harvest and sowing are the obvious pressure points,” Mrs Richards said.
“But we also see it during shearing runs, cattle work, or packing deadlines in horticulture.
“These are the times when people are most likely to push through fatigue, work without a plan, or skip key safety checks.”
The problem, she says, is not a lack of knowledge, but the override that pressure can cause.
“We know how to do things safely,” Mrs Richards said.
“But when the clock is ticking, or when there’s financial pressure, it’s easy to prioritise the job over the process.
“The irony is that rushing often leads to delays, whether that’s from injury, broken gear, or a job needing to be redone.”
To help address this, the Farmsafe campaign encourages all of those working and living on farms to build safety into the plan, not just bolt it on later.
Farm safety tips
Build Buffer Time: Don’t schedule work down to the last minute. Build in margins for weather, equipment delays or staff needs.
Quick Huddles Before High-Pressure Jobs: Even a five-minute chat before starting a big job can clarify roles, spot risks, and set the tone.
Know Your Pressure Points: Identify when you’re most likely to cut corners. Is it late in the day? Before knock-off? When contractors are on site?
Say No to ‘Just This Once’ Thinking: Create a culture where safety doesn’t get flexible just because the clock is ticking.
Pause for the Plan: A few minutes of planning can save hours of re-doing a job later, or even prevent a tragedy.
Mrs Richards says it’s important to remember the culture of pushing through should not be seen as a strength.
“There’s pride in getting the job done. We respect that. But part of changing farm safety outcomes means recognising when that culture is also a risk.” she said.
She adds that pressure isn’t always just about the season, it’s about mental load, too.
“Pressure builds when you’re tired, when your team is stretched thin, when you’re juggling family, finances and decisions,” Mrs Richards said.
“That’s why clear planning and shared responsibility are so important. If you’re feeling the pressure, chances are your team is too. So talk about it.”
And if a near miss does occur, Mrs Richards urges farmers to use that moment as a warning, not just a lucky close call.
“A near miss is a second chance,” she said.
“But it only matters if we do something with it. If pressure caused you to slip up, plan now to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
