Farm Safety Improves Through 'Incremental Gain', Says Birkett
Improving health and safety is about incremental gain rather than a sudden decision, says Leeston farmer and Federated Farmers health and safety spokesman David Birkett.
"Agriculture, forestry, and fishery workers had the highest rate of injury claims," customer, policy, and research manager Michele Lloyd says.
Provisional figures for 2013 show that agriculture, forestry, and fishery workers made 226 injury claims per 1,000 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs), and 2.6% of these workers experienced an injury that resulted in a week or more off work.
Other occupation groups with high rates of work-related injury claims in 2013 were trade workers, elementary occupations and plant and machine operators and assemblers.
"Men are more prone to workplace accidents, with male workers generating 73% of all claims and 95% of all claims for workplace fatal claims," Lloyd sats
Age is also a factor, with the highest rates of injury claims coming from workers aged between 15 and 24 and those over the age of 65.
The release also reveals that self-employed workers are almost twice as likely to experience workplace injuries than employees.
The regional picture places Northland with the highest incidence rate followed closely by Gisborne/Hawke's Bay and Bay of Plenty.
