Promoting farm safety in schools
Shifting Gears is an innovative, teacher-led farm safety education program designed specifically for schools. It aims to build a culture of safety among young people—particularly those living on farms, studying agriculture or horticulture, or considering careers in agriculture.
The program helps teachers start meaningful conversations about farm safety by providing age‑appropriate, relatable, and contextually relevant materials that reflect real Australian farming experiences.
What makes Shifting Gears unique?
Shifting Gears helps students better understand agricultural injuries and their contributing factors within the rural Australian context. The program provides:
- Tailored, relatable content developed for farming communities
- Age-appropriate materials targeting the realities of rural youth
- Teacher-friendly resources that support planning, delivery, and classroom discussion
“The videos allowed us to teach farm safety in a sensitive manner that was contextually appropriate for our students. Most of the students in our school are off a farm and have lived experience of farm safety issues and we’re always mindful that what we use needs to deal with matters of farm safety in a delicate manner.”
Goroke P-12 College teacher, 2023
Program features
Teacher resource
The downloadable Shifting Gears Resource provides flexible, ready-to-use content covering key farm safety themes. Topics include:
- Agricultural health statistics
- Agricultural exposure to hazards and agents of injury
- Flow on effect of poor farmer health
- Prevention strategies
- Quad bike and side by side vehicles
- Hierarchy of controls
Audio visual materials
Shifting Gears includes a suite of engaging video content for classroom use, such as:
- Documentary-style videos linking farm safety to human health
- Creative animations illustrating safety theories, including the Hierarchy of Controls
Classroom activities
Shifting Gears includes 13 suggested activities and discussions designed for flexible use in the classroom – you can implement them as a complete package, as individual discussions or as standalone topics. They are broadly aligned with the agricultural curriculum to engage and educate students.
These activities support hands‑on learning and empower students to think critically about risk in farm environments.
You can also download a copy of the Hierarchy of Controls in Ag poster by completing the short form below.
Support for educators
Discover how to bring farm safety to life in your classroom with the Shifting Gears program.
Watch our webinar which offers valuable guidance on the program’s resources and activities, and highlights the importance of weaving health and safety conversations into your teaching. Perfect for teachers and school representatives looking to inspire safer practices in farming communities.
Your feedback is important to us!
If you’ve used the Shifting Gears educational resources in your classroom, please take a moment to complete our evaluation. Your feedback helps us understand whether the resource was useful, met your needs as an educator and provided a valuable experience for your students.
Important information
For all program and sponsorship enquiries please contact:
The National Centre for Farmer Health, as part of Western District Health Service (WDHS), has developed these farm safety videos and downloadable resources (known as Educational Materials) for secondary school teachers and students. WDHS owns, or has the right to use and licence, the Educational Materials.
By downloading the Educational Materials, you acknowledge and agree that:
- WDHS grants you a royalty-free, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable licence to use the Educational Materials for educational purposes;
- The Educational Materials may not be modified or adapted in any way (including deletion or modification of any copyright notices) without the prior written approval of WDHS;
- Whilst reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents of these educational materials are accurate and current, WDHS does not make any representation or warranty as to the accuracy or currency of the information; and
- WDHS will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on or use of the Educational Materials.
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