Automation is becoming a bigger part of modern farming. Autonomous machinery, robotics, drones, sensors and remote monitoring are already helping farmers complete tasks, collect information and manage operations in new ways.
For farm safety, that brings opportunities as well as new things to think about.
Automation can reduce exposure to some hazardous tasks, improve monitoring and help farmers make better decisions. At the same time, new technology can introduce different risks, change how people interact with machinery and create new training and supervision requirements.
The key is making sure farm safety processes keep up as technology changes.
Automation is becoming a bigger part of modern farming. Autonomous machinery, robotics, drones, sensors and remote monitoring are already helping farmers complete tasks, collect information and manage operations in new ways.
For farm safety, that brings opportunities as well as new things to think about.
Automation can reduce exposure to some hazardous tasks, improve monitoring and help farmers make better decisions. At the same time, new technology can introduce different risks, change how people interact with machinery and create new training and supervision requirements.
The key is making sure farm safety processes keep up as technology changes.
Farm automation is the use of technology to complete, support or monitor farming tasks with less direct manual input.
It can range from relatively simple systems, such as sensors that monitor soil moisture, through to highly automated machinery that can carry out tasks with limited operator involvement.
Examples of farm automation include:
Automation doesn't necessarily mean people are removed from the process. In many cases, it changes their role from directly carrying out a task to monitoring, managing or responding to technology.
Automation is being used across different parts of agriculture, although the technology and level of automation varies between farms.
Machinery and equipment
GPS guidance, automated steering and autonomous machinery can reduce the amount of manual operation required for some tasks.
Robotic systems are also being developed and used for activities such as milking, feeding, harvesting and other repetitive tasks.
Drones
Drones can be used to inspect crops, monitor livestock, survey areas of a property and collect information without requiring someone to physically travel across the farm.
They can also provide a different way of inspecting areas that may be difficult or unsafe to access.
Drones can be useful for monitoring crops, livestock and difficult-to-access areas, but they also come with their own safety requirements. Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) states that drones used for paid work or business must be registered and operated by someone with the required accreditation or licence.
Sensors and monitoring
Sensors can monitor things such as soil conditions, weather, water levels, equipment performance and livestock.
Instead of someone needing to physically check everything, information can be collected and monitored remotely.
Remote operations
Remote monitoring can give farmers information about equipment, sites and conditions without requiring someone to be physically present.
This can be particularly useful across large properties or remote areas where checking equipment or conditions can involve significant travel.
One of the biggest changes is that automation can shift how people interact with hazards.
Automation is changing how farmers interact with machinery, but the underlying need to manage plant-related risks remains. Safe Work Australia notes that plant is a major cause of work-related death and injury in Australian workplaces.
A worker may no longer need to physically perform a task, but they may still need to understand the equipment, recognise when something isn't working as expected and know what to do when intervention is required.
For example, an autonomous machine may reduce the need for someone to spend long periods operating equipment. However, workers still need to understand its operating area, limitations, controls and emergency procedures.
Automation can also help reduce exposure to certain hazards.
Remote monitoring may reduce the need to travel to isolated areas. Robotics may reduce repetitive manual work. Drones may allow inspections to be completed without sending someone into difficult terrain.
But reducing one risk doesn't necessarily remove risk altogether. It can change where the risk sits and how it needs to be managed.
Introducing new technology can create hazards that weren't present before, or change existing ones.
Safe Work Australia notes that moving plant presents a high risk of serious injury and death, including the risk of plant colliding with people or objects.
For farms using autonomous or semi-autonomous machinery, this makes it important to consider where equipment can operate, how people interact with it, what happens when something goes wrong and how the machinery can be safely stopped or isolated.
Some things farms may need to consider include:
Automation doesn't remove the need for trained workers. In some cases, it can make training even more important.
Workers need to understand not only how to use technology, but also how to work safely around it.
Depending on the equipment, this may include training on:
Competency should also be reviewed when equipment, processes or responsibilities change.
When new technology changes how work is carried out, safety procedures need to change with it. Safe Work Australia recommends consulting workers, creating safe work procedures and providing training, instructions, information and supervision when changes affect how workers do their jobs.
A worker who was competent to operate one type of machinery isn't automatically competent to operate a new automated system.
Automation doesn't remove responsibility from people.
Someone still needs to understand how a system is being used, what could go wrong and what action needs to be taken when something doesn't go to plan.
This means farms should be clear about who is responsible for:
This is particularly important where technology is being monitored remotely or where several people interact with the same system.
Having technology in place doesn't automatically mean a task is being managed safely. The people responsible for the work still need to understand the risks and controls.
One of the easiest things to overlook when introducing new technology is updating the safety processes around it.
A new machine, drone, robot or monitoring system can change the way work is carried out. That means existing risk assessments, procedures and emergency plans may no longer reflect what actually happens on the farm.
When new technology is introduced, it can be useful to review:
The same applies when technology is upgraded or the way it is used changes.
Automation has the potential to make some farm work safer by reducing exposure to hazardous environments, taking on repetitive tasks and providing better information about what is happening across the farm.
But it also changes the way people interact with machinery, equipment and the workplace.
As farms adopt more autonomous machinery, robotics, drones, sensors and remote monitoring, safety processes need to evolve alongside them.
The goal isn't to manage technology separately from farm safety. It's to make sure new technology, new ways of working and the people using them are all considered as part of the same safety management process.
The farms of the future may look different, but the need to understand risks, train people, maintain equipment and keep safety processes current isn't going away. It's becoming even more important.
Topics: Safety Management System
What is farm automation?
Farm automation uses technology to complete, support or monitor farming tasks with less manual input, including autonomous machinery, robotics, drones, sensors and remote monitoring.
How does automation affect farm safety?
Automation can reduce some hazards but also introduce new risks, so farms need to consider how workers interact with equipment, how it’s controlled and what happens when systems fail.
What safety risks can autonomous farm machinery create?
Autonomous machinery can create risks from unexpected movement, equipment failure, maintenance and worker interactions, so these should be assessed before use.
Do workers still need training when farm equipment is automated?
Yes. Workers need to understand how automated equipment works, its limitations and emergency controls. Training should be reviewed when equipment or processes change.
How can farms manage safety when introducing new technology?
Farms should assess new hazards and review risk assessments, procedures, training, emergency plans, maintenance and responsibilities when introducing new technology.
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