Wednesday, 22 July 2026

“Children copy what they see”

Tasmanian farmer calls on Australians to think about setting the next generation up for success.

Children learn some of their most important safety lessons long before they're formally taught, simply by watching the adults around them.

That's the message Tasmanian sheep farmer Josie Chester is sharing this National Farm Safety Week, urging farming families to recognise that every decision they make on farm helps shape the next generation of Australian agriculture.

As part of Farmsafe Australia's ‘Set the Standard: Show ‘em how it’s done’ campaign, Ms Chester is encouraging Australians to think about farm safety, not as something taught through rules alone, but through the everyday behaviours children and young workers see repeated around them.

"Children copy what they see," Ms Chester said.

"They're always watching us, whether we realise it or not. The behaviours we normalise today become the behaviours tomorrow's farmers will see as ordinary."

Growing up and raising a family on a working farm, Ms Chester said safety habits start long before a young person ever receives formal training.

"People copy behaviour, not just instructions," she said.

"If you want a young person to wear a helmet, you have to wear one yourself. If you want them to slow down, buckle up or think before taking a shortcut, they need to see you doing it every single day."

With Australian farms continuing to be among the country's most dangerous workplaces, Farmsafe Australia is encouraging farmers to recognise the powerful influence they have through the examples they set every day.

For Ms Chester, one of the biggest opportunities to improve farm safety isn't introducing more rules, it's recognising the influence every adult has on the next generation.

Rather than relying solely on rules or reminders, the campaign highlights the importance of visible leadership through everyday behaviours such as wearing helmets, buckling seatbelts, following safe driving practices and taking the time to explain why safety matters.

For Ms Chester, whose family operates a merino sheep farm in Tasmania, those lessons begin at home. "Our farm is our workplace, but it's also our home," she said.

"When children grow up around machinery, livestock and vehicles, they're learning from every decision we make. If we want them to value safety, we have to show them what that looks like."

She said consistency was one of the most powerful ways farming families could build safer habits for future generations.

"Visible safety behaviours set the standard," she said.

"Every action teaches something. It helps to take the time to show young people how it's done, explain why we do things a certain way and encourage questions. That's how confidence and good habits are built."

Beyond her own farm, Ms Chester volunteers at her local school, supporting farm safety and road safety programs that introduce students over the age of 16 to safe quad bike and side-by-side vehicle operation.

"It's fantastic seeing young people given the opportunity to learn these skills early," she said.

"It gives them confidence, prepares them for future employment and helps make safety part of the way they think from the very beginning."

Farmsafe Australia Chair Felicity Richards said role modelling remained one of the most powerful but often overlooked ways to improve safety across Australian agriculture.

"Strong safety cultures aren't created through posters or policies alone. They're built through everyday actions that are repeated consistently over time."

"As an industry, we have an incredible opportunity to shape the next generation of Australian farmers simply by demonstrating the behaviours we want them to carry forward."

‘Set the Standard: Show ‘em how it’s done’, Farmsafe Australia’s National Farm Safety Week campaign, runs from 19–25 July 2026. For more information and resources, visit Farmsafe Australia.

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Nicole Streete

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About Farmsafe Australia

Farmsafe Australia is the peak industry body, bringing together farmers, industry experts, and agricultural stakeholders to ensure that every farm has access to safety information and education to create a safer place to live and work. With deep roots in the agricultural community, we share trusted resources and expert insights, ensuring every farm has access to support to help them protect what matters most.

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Disclaimer: These suggestions are intended as a guide only and are designed to provide information - it is not legal advice and does not take the place of proper individualised on-farm workplace inductions, work, health and safety training, or any other tailored steps which may be necessary to protect health and safety at specific worksites.