Language program keeps multicultural seasonal workers safe from harm on farms

Seasonal worker Rimpi Khakh is happy picking zucchini on a farm at Shepparton East in Victoria.Most of her co-workers for this harvest season are from the same region in Punjab and have been trained to do the work by their employer Bill Khakh."He always says daily something about safety, and he always guides us how to pick, how to pack, and what are the safety rules. He guides us in everything.

"When we talk to the farm owners and farm managers here, their view is that there are some issues. But they are overwhelmed by how to deal with it," he said.Agriculture is one of the deadliest industries in the country, according to the most recent statistics from government agency Safe Work Australia, from 2022.

"Planting takes two days, and after three months you can start picking and the money starts coming in, compared to fruits and all the others that only pay once a year," he said.Working with Veg Education has shown him there are better and safer ways to do some things on the farm. She said there was definitely a gap in the market for multicultural training, given culturally and linguistically diverse workers make up at least 11 per cent of Australia's agricultural workforce." covers basic things like how to use machinery safely, what kind of safety clothing you should be wearing, working with chemicals ... for people who might have no understanding about the risks when they're entering a new workplace," she said.

Seasonal Workers Crops Horticulture Agriculture Farming Farm Safety Harvest CALD Language Education Training Shepparton Workplace Safety Safe Work

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