CGU Insurance Sponsorship

CGU PARTNERS WITH FARMSAFE AUSTRALIA

In an effort to improve farm safety and reduce risk in rural communities across Australia, CGU Insurance today announces its partnership with Farmsafe Australia. CGU Manager, NSW Regional & Rural, Brett Watson said as Australia’s leading regional and rural insurer, CGU was proud to be sponsoring Farmsafe Australia and helping to increase awareness and education on farm safety.

“At CGU, we are here to pay claims, but it’s obviously better if we can help prevent loss of life and property in the first instance,” Mr Watson said. “As an insurer we understand only too well that for farmers, their family, employees and contractors are their most valuable and also vulnerable asset. That is why we are committed to increasing awareness and educating people on the benefits of farm safety,” he said.

“CGU is committed to reducing risk in the community and we are very proud to support Farmsafe Australia to promote safer farming and increased farm productivity through better farming practices.” “We recognise that enhanced safety practices also result in a more sustainable farm and leads to better efficiency and productivity for farmers.”

Farmsafe Australia Executive Officer John Temperley said it was important that farmers took the time to assess the risks on their properties to ensure they could protect themselves, their employees, families and business.

“Each year people are seriously injured and killed in farming incidents across Australia – it’s our goal to increase awareness of potential risks and ensure people have access to the right information to improve safety,” he said.

“Farm-related death and injury is avoidable and we must stop this loss of life and reduced quality of life,” he said. “Farm-related deaths and injuries also create a significant economic burden for both farmers and the communities they live in.”

As part of the sponsorship, CGU and Farmsafe have developed an innovative and practical guide to reduce injuries and deaths associated with grain augers. The guide has been designed to help educate farmers to fit their older grain augers with a new guard, which will keep people safe and at the same time allow ready grain flow for all seeds.

Mr Watson said as part of its sponsorship, CGU would actively promote the work of Farmsafe Australia with its extensive rural business partner, broker and authorised representative networks.

“We also encourage farmers concerned about their insurance protection or potential safety risks to contact their insurance broker or adviser,” he said.

About CGU Insurance

CGU Insurance is one of Australia’s leading commercial insurers and distributes its products through business partners and intermediaries. CGU insures over 1 million homes and 500,000 motor vehicles and is the country's largest regional and rural insurer and Australia’s largest workers’ compensation provider.

It has an ‘AA-’ financial strength rating (stable outlook) from ratings agency Standard & Poor’s. Duncan West is the Chief Executive Officer of CGU. CGU forms part of the Insurance Australia Group (IAG).

Cargill / Farmsafe Partnership

As part of its ongoing commitment to child safety, Cargill Australia has announced further sponsorship of $47,000, for the production of 2,000 RIPPER II primary education resource folders, to be made available to rural schools across Australia. This brings Cargill Australia’s partnership with Farmsafe Australia and their contribution towards child farm safety initiatives since 2004 to over $100,000.

The RIPPER II initiative lies within the education component of Farmsafe Australia’s Child Safety on Farms Program. Ripper II - Growing kids on farms is an education resource for primary schools, providing teachers with evidence-based safety content and learning activities linked to the primary school curriculum of every Australian state and territory.

With the support of Cargill Australia and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, the RIPPER II resource was first released in August 2005. Since then, over 2,000 resource folders and nearly 4,000 CD versions of the resource have been distributed to primary schools all over rural Australia. It is our ongoing objective to ensure that every teacher has knowledge about and ready access to, this important farm safety education resource.

Recent research indicates a reduction in child deaths on farms in recent years. There are children alive on Australian farms as a result of this program.  This latest sponsorship from Cargill Australia, will help to ensure further progress towards that goal.

Managing Farm Safety

Farmsafe Australia has developed a series of resources for farmers and farm managers to manage safety on their farms.

The Managing Farm Safety resources include hazard checklists, safety induction forms for farm employees and contractors, Safety Guides and templates to record farm safety training and injury.

These resources can be downloaded by following this link to the AgHealth Australia website.

Managing Farm Safety resources are available for the following agricultural inustries:

• Dairy
• Sheep and Wool Production
• Grain Production
• Cotton
• Beef Cattle
• Horticulture
• Sugarcane

Hard copies of these resources can also be purchased from AgHealth Australia or by contacting Farmsafe Australia.

Farmsafe Farmer of the Year

Michael Blake, Bally Glunin Park, Hamilton, Victoria was awarded the inaugural Farmsafe Farmer of the Year Award 2007 at the Farm Health and Safety Conference Dinner recently held in Adelaide, SA.

The award was made to Michael, in recognition of the efforts he and his family have achieved, creating a safe farm workplace and promoting farm safety to Victorian farmers.  The award consisted of a plaque and $500 cheque from CGU Insurance.

Michael Blake (centre) is being congratulated by Bill Sharland, State Development Manager, CGU Insurance (left) and Lin Morris (right) Chairman, Farmsafe Australia. 

The Farm Safety Awards 2007, sponsored by CGU Insurance, were established to recognise those farmers and community groups that have made a signifacant contribution towards improved farm safety in Australia.

The Tamworth Farm Safety Group, from NW NSW were presented the Farm Safety Group Award and a cheque of $1,500 for their efforts promoting farm safety, especially organising Future Farmers Safety Field Days for high school students, and farm noise and hearing injury prevention.

Don Sutherland, the immediate past Chairman of Farmsafe Australia and Farmsafe WA, was presented a cheque of $500 to recognize an Individual Contribution to Farm Health and Safety.  Don has been promoting farm safety all his farming life and was the Chairman of Farmsafe Australia for 10 years.

Their belief and promotion of good farm safety principles and practices, has led to safer Australian farms.