Worksafe And ACC - Concerns Over Farm Safety
Worksafe has highlighted how important it is to take care of health and safety on farms. According to their data, there are more fatalities on farms than in any other industry. While ACC data shows that farm injuries are trending downwards, the worst effects of unsafe conditions on farms are felt by those of retirement age and above, followed by children aged up to 19.
Greg Peters from Worksafe is quoted in a recent Stuff article reminding farmers that children or family members must be treated as workers with regards to safety measures. There is a “difference between a farmer’s child who rode a motocross bike […] for fun, and when the same child used the bike to round up cows,” he said.
Farm vehicle and bike accidents made up the majority of ACC claims, with those aged 65+ being the worst affected. Peters noted that “ACC offers subsidies for farmers” to have seatbelts and rollers bars installed in their farm vehicles.
DairyNZ has a guide on health and safety, which you can see here, that includes guides and factsheets from WorkSafe for your use in safeguarding your farm. Worksafe also provides comprehensive, easy to understand guidelines on their own website.