News

Are your workplace health and safety procedures and documentation up to scratch?

Ensuring that the orchard and its infrastructure are safe work spaces is a key responsibility of macadamia growers and managers, and something that should always be paid attention to. Under workplace health and safety legislation, employers/business owners have legal responsibilities, and in your primary duty of care, you must:

·       provide a safe work environment

·       ensure safe use, handling and storage of machinery, structures and substances

·       make sure your facilities are well-maintained and at an acceptable standard

·       give your workers any information, training, instruction or supervision needed for safety

·       keep an eye on the health of workers and conditions at your place of work

·       keep an injury register

·       have a workers' compensation policy and a return-to-work plan.

Inspectors auditing macadamia farms

WorkSafe inspectors recently have been auditing macadamia farms in Queensland, and at the end of 2025, they will be focused on vehicle and mobile plant traffic movements such as forklifts at your workplace.

So you are as prepared as you can be, download the self-assessment tool from the Queensland WorkSafe website. You can use it to review the effectiveness and adequacy of your existing risk management approach for vehicle and mobile plant traffic movements on your farm.  It will also help generate ideas and opportunities to improve your practices.

If you haven’t audited your farm recently, now is a good time, before you are audited by an inspector. 

Information

There are a range of protocols, checklists and preventative measures at www.safework.nsw.gov.au (NSW), www.workSafe.qld.gov.au (Qld) and www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au (national). 

Don’t think it’s just for big organisations; workplace safety is as much a priority for small owner-operated enterprises.