WorkSafe calls for urgent change after six deaths on farms in 10 days

WorkSafe is calling for urgent change.

WorkSafe is calling on the agriculture sector to step up and do better after four deaths on farms involving vehicles in the last week.

“The agricultural community have had an absolutely tragic week unfortunately this week - January last year we had no fatalities and here we are,” WorkSafe head of general inspectorate, Jo Pugh, said.

Across all industries there have been six workplace deaths in the last week, all in rural areas, including an incident involving a tractor at a tourism venture near Cromwell and a tree falling on a person at a forestry operation near Gisborne.

This time last year, there had been one workplace death.

Ms Pugh said the toll was disappointing and frustrating, and should be a wake-up call.

“We visit two to three thousand farms every single year, we engage with the agriculture industry groups, we have partnered with FMG Young Farmer of the Year to make sure we're working with our future leaders and connecting with them.

"We have arranged for an ACC subsidy for crush protection devices with quad bikes, so we're doing quite a lot for the community at the moment to make a difference.

“A lot of effort has been put in to trying to raise awareness; now’s the time for people to step up and change their behaviour,” she said.

Ms Pugh said the sector was slowly changing its attitudes toward health and safety on the farm.

“We think this could be generational change.”

Wairarapa farmer and Federated Farmers national board member Karen Williams agreed that there was some shift in culture, but said some farmers still need to understand that it’s “okay to be safe.”

“It’s not uncool to look after your own life… I think we probably need to work with our young people and make sure that they’re coming through and that safety is a priority for them and that will filter through as they go through their careers and they train new people,” Ms Williams said.

She said farmers need to value their own wellbeing before their crops, stock and machinery.

“Sadly, I don’t think there is a silver bullet for stopping this, it’s a very delicate balance between maintaining your personal safety on farm but you also have to get the job done.”

In New Zealand, 73 per cent of fatal accidents across all sectors involve a vehicle.

There were 10 fatalities in the agriculture sector last year to October 2019 and 18 deaths in 2018, WorkSafe reports.

2020 workplace fatalities reported to WorkSafe in the last week:

January 4 – Quad bike – Midhurst
January 4 – SUV (used as farm vehicle) – Coldstream
January 6 – Quad bike – Ohakune
January 8 – Tractor – Cromwell
January 9 – Forestry – Ruatoria
January 10 – Quad bike – Wharepuhunga

SHARE ME

More Stories