MOLKA sheep farmers Mark and Donna Carroll have joined a new WorkSafe communications campaign, "‘It’s never you, until it is", which promotes farm safety.

The couple shared how they stay safe on their Molka farm in an educational case study shared with local media outlets.

Mr Carroll told WorkSafe that he once split a bone in his hand with a drill and a good mate of his had his pelvis crushed behind a gate.

“People need to remember that you can be out of action from breaking your leg or your pelvis, but you can also be out of action if you break your finger," he said.

“If I'm hurt, the work doesn't get done.

"I can't afford to get hurt, so sometimes I’ve just got to step back and say, all right, that job can wait.

"It’s still got to be done, but it can wait until we've got a safety plan.”

According to WorkSafe, Mr and Mrs Carroll shared the following safety tips: using the "Find My iPhone" app to keep track of where the other is; always asking each other where they are going, what they are doing and when they will be back; and if you are doing something infrequently, running through a mental checklist to consider what you may have forgotten.

In 2022, eight people died in the Victorian agriculture industry and a further 597 people working in the sector were injured seriously enough to receive workers' compensation.

Since 2018, there have been 346 agriculture-related injury claims as of June 26, 2023, in the Goulburn area (covering the Mitchell, Moira, Murrindindi, Shepparton and Strathbogie local government areas).

Mr Carroll purchased his Molka farm three years ago and has been a sheep farmer for 28 years.

Mrs Carroll, an IT expert, moved onto the farm nine months ago.

The new WorkSafe campaign, which includes more information about staying safe on farms, can be found at https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/its-never-you-until-it.