FARMERS over 60 years old are almost twice as likely to die from work-related injuries than younger farmers, WorkSafe Victoria figures show.
Since the start of 2009, seven farmers over the age of 60 have died on the job - including three in their 70s and two in their 80s.
The most common contributing factor in deaths of older farmers are tractors, followed by quad bikes.
Last week a 78-year-old Maude farmer died - the fifth farming death for the state in 2010 - when his quad bike overturned on a steep hill.
WorkSafe is calling on older farmers to recognise their limits.
WorkSafe health and safety acting executive director Stan Krpan said all farmers, particularly older ones, needed to make a concerted effort to be safer.
"Don't let everything you've worked for - for yourself and your family - be destroyed just because you haven't thought about safety," Mr Krpan said.
"We know Victoria's farming community is getting older.
"The average age of a farmer at the last census was 52 and a number of factors mean farmers are staying on the land for longer than before."
Mr Krpan said farmers needed to ask themselves if they had the right equipment and if they could do the job safely.
"If you're not using the right equipment for the job, then you're improvising - which means you're compromising on safety," he said.
Last year, eight farmers died in Victoria while working.
Six of these were tractor-related incidents, one a fall from a horse and one was a quad bike roll-over.
Victorian Farmers Federation Industrial Group spokesman Alan Bowman said the VFF was involved in an Australasian working group looking at on-farm quad bike safety, which is due to report mid-year.
The group includes the NFF, NSW Farmers, Workcover and New Zealand representatives.
Mr Bowman said the number of deaths was unacceptable.
"Relating to age, I'm not sure it is different to any other industry, as age increases, probably so do accidents," he said.
"But we certainly encourage older farmers to be very aware and cautious that with age your reflexes are not as fast as when you are 30."
Mr Bowman said while roll-over cages on quad bikes may be an option, the issue was not cut-and-dry.
