Monday 20 July 2026

“I can recall a near miss that could have been a death”

Poultry farmer urges Australians to stop and reassess before pushing on.

One moment on a poultry farm changed the way New South Wales farmer Brad Vinecombe thinks about safety forever.

After experiencing what he describes as a near miss that "could have been a death", Mr Vinecombe began questioning many of the behaviours he had accepted throughout his career and the examples he wanted to set for the next generation.

"It was just a standard day on the farm,” Mr Vinecombe said, “but afterwards I realised I'd taken safety for granted." "It made me completely reassess the way I approach every job."

Managing millions of chickens across large-scale poultry operations, Mr Vinecombe understands the pressures that come with modern farming but says experience has taught him that no deadline is worth compromising safety.

"Sometimes the safest decision is simply to stop and reassess," he said.

"Slowing down doesn't mean you're falling behind. More often than not, it's what gets everyone home safely."

Growing up in agriculture, Mr Vinecombe admits many of the behaviours he witnessed were simply accepted as part of farming life.

Today, with a young family of his own, he believes it's time to break that cycle.

"I grew up seeing people push through fatigue, rush jobs and just get on with it because that's what farmers did," he said. "Now I've got a young family waiting for me at home, I see things differently."

"I can't change the examples I grew up with, but I can choose the example I set now."

That change in perspective has reinforced one lesson above all else: the standards farmers demonstrate every day influence everyone around them.

"What you do every day sets the standard," he said.

Mr Vinecombe believes some of the greatest risks on Australian farms aren't always the obvious ones.

"Routine environments have hidden risks because it's easy to think, 'I've done this a million times before,'" he said. "That's when complacency starts to creep in."

"Good operators reassess conditions constantly because every day is different."

He also believes younger workers have an important role to play in creating safer farms.

"We need experienced people setting the right example, but we also need younger workers to speak up if something doesn't look right," he said.

"Safety should never be something you're afraid to question."

Farmsafe Australia Chair Felicity Richards said Mr Vinecombe's story highlighted an important shift taking place across Australian agriculture.

"Many of the safety habits people learn on farms are passed from one generation to the next," Ms Richards said.