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

Drug survey

OPINION: New national data from The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA), a leading workplace drug tester, shows methamphetamine (meth) use is growing and making up a disproportionate share of nonnegative workplace drug test results.

Featured

Nichol is new PGW chair

A day after the ouster of PGG Wrightson’s chair and his deputy, the listed rural trader’s board has appointed John Nichol as the new independent chair.

Fieldays to rebuild Mystery Creek services building

The iconic services building at National Fieldays' Mystery Creek site will be demolished to make way for a "contemporary replacement that better serves the needs of both the community and event organisers," says board chair Jenni Vernon.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Quid prod quo?

OPINION: Ageing lefty Chris Trotter reckons that the decision to delay recognition of Palestinian statehood is more than just a fit…

Deadwood

OPINION: A mate of yours truly recently met someone at a BBQ who works at a big consulting firm who spent…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter