Metalcorp has joined a growing list of agribusinesses partnering with a rural health organisation in a bid to improve outcomes for rural and regional Australians.
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The National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH) will be the beneficiary of this latest partnership in which Metalcorp aims to support the NCFH mission to make a difference to farmers’ lives by striving to improve the health, wellbeing and safety of farmers, farm workers and their families.
NCFH Director, Dr Susan Brumby said Metalcorp’s corporate support of the Centre would provide vital funding to aid their research and ongoing activities to improve farmer health.
The NCFH has been operating since November 2008, as a partnership between Western District Health Service and Deakin University’s School of Medicine.
It is unique in Australia in its capacity to undertake clinical activities, academic research and education and training within the specialist field of agricultural health and medicine.
“Our new association with Metalcorp, will enable us to extend the reach of our service delivery across rural Australia, as well as enhance our research capabilities, better positioning the NCFH to close the existing gap between the health, well-being and safety status of Australian farmers and agricultural workers and their urban cousins,” Dr Brumby said.
“One of the important research projects we have recently undertaken is the Ripple Effect, which is an online intervention program, designed to reduce the stigma around depression among males from the farming community aged 30-64 years. Developing an association with corporate partners such as Metalcorp will enable us to expand the reach of these established programs.”
Metalcorp’s national sales and marketing manager Lester Kirkwood said his company would help raise awareness of these programs by providing space at field day sites to enable customers access to free presentations by agrihealth professionals from the NCFH.
“With a safety focus in the design and manufacturing of all Metalcorp’s products, we will take a further step to have our livestock handling equipment reviewed by the NCFH.
“This will enable a tick of approval indicating it can be operated effectively and safely by both women and men that work in the rural sector.”
To identify that this safety review has been completed, look for the NCFH “tick of approval” sticker located on Metalcorp livestock handling equipment.
This is a first for the rural sector and lifts the bar on safe use of equipment for handling rural livestock.
