Health and safety are key issues for all agricultural businesses. In managing risks to health and safety, there are well acknowledged systems and processes that can enhance a business’s capacity to not only meet legislative requirements, but also to enhance productivity. This is also important given the recent national harmonisation of the Work Health and Safety (WHS) legislation. The cotton industry has been a leader in relation to the adoption of health and safety processes in Australian agriculture. Notwithstanding this position as an industry leader, further work is required to strengthen on-farm systems and processes for health and safety.

This project aimed to build on existing gains by refining health and safety resource materials that are already available and widely accepted by cotton growers. Since the development of the Managing Cotton Farm Safety program and related resources in 2000, these materials have been incorporated into the myBMP program. However, since 2000 there have been considerable developments in cotton farming technologies, resulting in changed practices that have an impact on health and safety. In light of these changes, these resource materials required updating to ensure they meet current best practice.

The incorporation of the updated resources into the myBMP program ensures growers are able to utilise the best available information to support their health and safety systems and practices. Continued improvements in health and safety performance by the cotton industry will have a positive impact on restricting increments in workers compensation claims and also maximizing productivity.