Accident triggers traffic alert in barns, sheds
WorkSafe New Zealand is calling on farmers to consider how vehicles move inside their barns and sheds, following a sentencing for a death at one of South Canterbury’s biggest agribusinesses.
ACC and WorkSafe New Zealand have launched the inaugural 'Reducing Harm in New Zealand Workplaces Action Plan'.
The 'Reducing Harm in New Zealand Workplaces Action Plan' is taking a new look at how, together, we can better support the agriculture, construction, forestry, manufacturing and health sectors to make significant improvements to keep their workers safe.
The plan also focuses on the most common causes of injury across all sectors – slips, trips and falls; working in and around vehicles; body stressing, and respiratory health risks. Underlying this is a new focus on fundamental changes that support health and safety culture, such as worker engagement and participation.
The Plan supports their collaborative efforts to meet the government's target of reducing serious injuries and fatalities in the workplace by at least 25% by 2020.
"Our agencies are committed to working in partnership with industry to meet the government's target and achieve positive health and safety outcomes for all New Zealanders," says ACC's chief customer officer, Sid Miller. "Partnering with industry gives us a more in-depth understanding of what causes harm and severe injury across all New Zealand workplaces, rather than just single problems in single sectors."
WorkSafe's chief executive, Gordon MacDonald, says input from both agencies would ensure better outcomes. "What businesses want to see from WorkSafe and ACC is clear advice and a consistent, practical approach. That's what the Plan will help us deliver – smart, targeted injury and harm prevention programmes based on the best available evidence."
However government agencies cannot do it alone. Everyone has a role to play in keeping themselves, their co-workers and their working environment safe. "Good health and safety is about making sure we all take the right steps to keep ourselves and our workmates safe and healthy at work" says MacDonald.
There are a number of programmes in the Plan already underway, including Safetree, Safer Farms and the Canterbury rebuild programme. Other programmes are in the development stage, which means we are engaging with stakeholders and gathering evidence and data to support interventions.
"Industry and business can have confidence that we've taken an evidence-based approach to severe injury and harm prevention; that what we are delivering for and with industry are agreed, targeted and smart approaches to tackling the causes of severe injury and harm," says Miller.
"Businesses, workers and the public rightly expect government agencies to work together and the three-year Plan is a major step towards a smarter, more co-ordinated approach to keeping New Zealanders safe and healthy," says MacDonald.
Managing director of Woolover Ltd, David Brown, has put a lot of effort into verifying what seems intuitive, that keeping newborn stock's core temperature stable pays dividends by helping them realise their full genetic potential.
Within the next 10 years, New Zealand agriculture will need to manage its largest-ever intergenerational transfer of wealth, conservatively valued at $150 billion in farming assets.
Boutique Waikato cheese producer Meyer Cheese is investing in a new $3.5 million facility, designed to boost capacity and enhance the company's sustainability credentials.
OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.
Compensation assistance for farmers impacted by Mycoplama bovis is being wound up.
Selecting the reverse gear quicker than a lovestruck boyfriend who has met the in-laws for the first time, the Coalition Government has confirmed that the proposal to amend Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) charged against farm utes has been canned.
OPINION: Dust ups between rural media and PR types aren't unheard of but also aren't common, given part of the…
OPINION: The Hound hears from his canine pals in Southland that an individual's derogatory remarks on social media have left…