More than 240 people seriously injured while working with livestock since 2021

WorkSafe is calling on cattle farmers to check their ramps and review their loading practices during National Farm Safety Week.

This year, the awareness week was aimed at highlighting the near misses that can happen every day on farms.

Cattle handling remained one of the most dangerous jobs on a farm, as workers were often in close quarters with large, heavy animals that could kick, crush or trample with little warning.

This was especially the case during loading and unloading, when animals were often stressed and unpredictable.

Since 2021, there have been four workplace fatalities and more than 240 people who have been seriously injured while working with livestock.

Many of these incidents occurred during routine tasks.

WorkSafe health and safety executive director Sam Jenkin said it was critical farmers paused and assessed the safety of their ramps and loading practices.

"Some red flags to look out for include ramps that are not secured, non-adjustable ramps, ramps with no safety gate at the top and ramps that don't separate people and livestock," he said.

"Even if your ramps don't meet current safety standards, this doesn't necessarily mean you've got to spend a lot of money on brand new ones.

"There are cheaper ways to add safety features like catwalks or non-slip surfaces to existing ramps.

"The most important thing is to start with your safety assessment because when it comes to farm safety, you never know how many second chances you'll get."

Farmers who opted for new ramps were advised to check with the manufacturer whether they met Australian standards to ensure they were purchasing something both safe and long-lasting.

Safe loading practices included ensuring someone familiar with the cattle was in control, never loading cattle alone, having secure and well-maintained gates and ensuring everyone working in the yards was trained and experienced.

Ballangeich husband and wife Taylor and Paul Wallace said their safer cattle yards had offered additional peace of mind on their beef, sheep and dairy farm.

"We're almost like a family with our workers," Ms Wallace said.

"So making safety improvements to our cattle yards has felt like a big weight off our shoulders.

"I certainly wouldn't want to walk around knowing that one of my workers was badly injured or passed away because of a safety failure.

"I'm not sure I could live with that.

"But it's not just a safety thing - livestock production and efficiency are definitely improving as well thanks to the upgrades."

WorkSafe has made assessing the safety of cattle yards simpler by creating a short animation showing what safe loading looks like.

A new flowchart has also been created to help farmers determine if their ramp is safe, along with updates to existing guidance.

"We know improving safety in cattle yards is a journey and you can't change everything overnight," Mr Jenkin said.

"That's why our guidance sets out basic safety expectations and then best practice, which is where we're encouraging farmers to head in the long term.

"It's about knowing where you're at and what to work toward."

Farmers can contact WorkSafe's advisory service on 1800 136 089, or apply online for safety guidance at OHS Essentials - a free, independent and in-depth consultation service.