A young woman has told of her horror accident while working on a farm for minimum wage, exposing loopholes in one of Australia’s dodgiest industries.
Sarah Lupton, 24, fell four metres through a perspex shed roof on a remote farm on the Queensland and New South Wales boarder in March.
She was left lying on the ground for over an hour with a collapsed lung, shattered ribs, a laceration to the liver and internal bleeding before an ambulance arrived.
Sarah Lupton, 24, fell four metres through a Perspex shed roof on a remote farm on the Queensland and New South Wales boarder in March
She was left lying on the ground for over an hour with a collapsed lung, shattered ribs, a laceration to the liver and internal bleeding before an ambulance arrived (injuries pictured)
‘I thought, this isn’t a dream, you’re probably going to die,’ she told The Daily Telegraph.
Sarah said the pain she feels six months on is a constant reminder of how she could have died working in one of Australia’s most unregulated industries.
She told the publication there were no safety checks for the dangerous work, and she regrets not questioning it.
‘We were working with chainsaws, chopping down trees, she said.
‘There’s no guidelines for anyone like that, as long as you’ve got an ABN number. It’s crazy. I think you need to regulate it, there needs to be a system where people feel safe.’
Ms Lupton was paid $17.50 per hour. She would normally works 30 hours per week, but would only be paid for ten hours plus food and accommodation.
Sarah said the pain she feels six months on is a constant reminder of how she could have died working in one of Australia’s most unregulated industries
A young woman has told of her horror accident while working on a farm (pictured) for minimum wage, exposing loopholes in one of Australia’s dodgiest industries
The day she fell, the farm owner asked her to cut pieces of fibreglass on a roof. The roof had become brittle in the sun. As she jumped back and forth from wooden beams her foot went through the fibreglass.
Ms Lupton was transferred to a Gold Coast hospital where she spent 10 days, costing her family over $6,000.
Ms Lupton was at the farm with her British girlfriend, who needed to finish her 88 days of agricultural work to get her second-year visa.
Ms Lupton (pictured) was at the farm with her British girlfriend, who needed to finish her 88 days of agricultural work to get her second-year visa
NSW Farmers safety spokesperson Matthew Waring said farm owners legally have to provide a safe work environment for employees, with information on workplace health and safety.
‘The Association has not been made aware of any issues regarding backpackers and breaches of farm safety, however, one workplace accident is one too many and we work closely with workplace safety experts to ensure our members are made aware of best practice procedures,’ he said
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Fair Work Australia for comment.