Dairy woman in driver’s seat with tractor workshop

A quick look at the Department of Labour's website also shows nearly every agricultural fatality in 2012 involved a farming vehicle.

In what is believed to be the first training of its kind for dairy farming women, the Dairy Women's Network and agricultural equipment dealer AGrowQuip are bringing John Deere representatives together to deliver free tractor and all-terrain vehicle safety workshops in the Waikato region.

DWN executive chair Michelle Wilson says tractors and all-terrain vehicles are two of the most important vehicles on the farm, which people become very familiar with and sometimes take for granted from a safety perspective.

"Nobody thinks they are going to have an accident, especially when you have worked around these machines your entire life," says Wilson.

"Dairy farming women who have recently started working on farm vehicles, or would like to and want to learn some safety basics, will find this training day a great investment of their time because they will use their learning a lot, including sharing it with their family and farm team."

AGrowQuip chief operating officer Alan Cottington says the company's connection with John Deere, which has an international reputation for product safety, has secured product specialist Sarah Ross from Brisbane, and New Zealand territory managers Mark Hamilton-Manns and Ben Suffield to deliver the workshops.

They'll also be joined by representatives from HazardCo, Lower Emissions and AGrowQuip.

Cottington says in the past two years AGrowQuip has seen a shift in purchase behaviour from quad bikes to safer all-terrain vehicles like the John Deere Gator, because of safety features such as roll cages, two-person seating and seat belts and storage capacity for transporting tools securely around the farm.

"We've certainly noticed that the larger corporate farm operations are much more safety conscious in their purchasing decisions and are moving away from quads and ATVs," says Cottington.

Two tractors and two Gators will be operating at the regional workshops and participants will get hands-on learning, which will be supported by a mix of presentations and practical demonstrations.

Topics covered will include understanding the safety features of modern farm machinery compared with older models including transmission braking and anti-stall devices; how to drive farm vehicles safely in undulating and hilly terrain; understanding the importance of using safety features such as shields and seat belts, and basic maintenance for keeping machinery safe to use.

The one-day workshops in early October are open to all women working in the dairy industry and their families. The workshops will initially be held in three Waikato locations – Te Awamutu, Ngatea and Putaruru. The Dairy Women's Network and AGrowQuip hope to offer the training in more regions in future.

For a complete schedule and registration details for the Safety on Farm days visit www.dwn.co.nz or phone 0800 396 748.