Friday, 18 December 2015 07:55

Busting myths about health and safety

Written by 
Al McCone, agriculture programme manager at WorkSafe. Al McCone, agriculture programme manager at WorkSafe.

WorkSafe has launched a myth-busting series taking aim at the top 10 tall tales doing the rounds about improving health and safety on New Zealand farms.

"There are a lot of misconceptions in the farming community about health and safety, and the role of WorkSafe," says Al McCone, agriculture programme manager at WorkSafe.

"We're aiming to cut through the confusion so farmers can get the facts.

"We've been talking to farmers and listening to their feedback about what they're hearing about health and safety, such as banning quadbikes, banishing kids from the farm and mountains of new paperwork. The good news is - none of that is true."

He says WorkSafe have sorted fact from fiction for the myth-busting series, so farmers can be more clear about what they need to do to keep themselves, their families and workers, healthy and safe.

McCone says many farmers are surprised to hear the claims they've heard are in fact untrue.

"The launch of our farming health and safety campaign, Safer Farms, has sparked some vigorous debate but busting these myths will go a long way to putting some of the rumours to rest so farmers can concentrate on making farms safe and healthy places to work and live."

www.saferfarms.org.nz

More like this

Learnings from tractor incident

A near miss experienced by a North Island farmer worker when their tractor ‘park’ gear failed, has been shared as the latest Safety Alert from Safer Farms.

How to farm without harm

Safer Farms, the organisation dedicated to recognising the benefits of on-farm health and safety, is on a mission to reframe psychosocial harm.

Featured

MPI cuts 391 jobs

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has informed staff it will cut 391 jobs following a consultation period.

National

Fonterra appoints new CFO

Fonterra has appointed a new chief financial officer, seven months after its last CFO’s shock resignation.

Machinery & Products

GPS in control

In a move that will make harvesting operations easier, particularly in odd-shaped paddocks, Kuhn has announced that GPS section control…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Wrong, again!

OPINION: This old mutt well remembers the wailing, whining and gnashing of teeth by former West Coast MP and Labour…

Reality check

OPINION: Your canine crusader gets a little fed up with the some in media, union hacks, opposition politicians and hard-core…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter