The health status of male farmers in Australia, especially injury related is worse than their urban peers. Non-intentional injury on Australian farms results in around 150 deaths, 6,500 hospital admissions, and 6,000 workers compensation claim each year. In addition, there are between 20 and 70 presentations to hospital emergency departments for farm injury per 100 farms. The current cost of farm injury in Australia is thought to be between $0.5 and $1.29 billion per annum. A contributing factor to farms, as a workplace and a home, is that injury is attributed to all ages. inparticular, children and older adults are at risk of injury on farms.

Injury Prevention 2001 offers a wonderful opportunity for researchers, policy makers, practitioners, industry, and farmers with a particular interest in rural injury to come together. Injury Prevention 2001 provides an opportunity for RIRDC, as a major stakeholder in injury prevention in the agriculture, the opportunity to strengthen and develop its identity in the rural workplace health and safety sector.