To maximise improvements in work health and safety, it is vital to have the best available evidence available to understand the risks that exist. In turn, this can help to define the best control solutions to reduce these risks and prevent injury. For the cotton sector, such information can be used with confidence by cotton growers to update and modify myBMP (Best Management Practices) information and enhance their health and safety systems/practices.

The aims of this project were to review the National Coroners Information system and workers compensation data to understand the risks that exist on cotton famrs and define the best control solutions to reduce these risks and prevent injury.

2. Are there any comments relevant to continuing research in this area?

The report identified that there were a total of nine fatalities relating to working on cotton farms during the period 2001 – 2013 and an additional 28 cases that could have involved work on cotton farms, however the available data did not specify the cropping situation. In addition to fatalities a number of serious injury claims and short term injury claims were also identified. Ongoing research requirements exist for routine monitoring of data to provide indications of practice change and improvements on cotton farms. Moreover the requirements now exist in improving safety on farm and ensuring best practice reflects dilligence in WHS.