Risk is higher as seasons change

Snow, sleet, and rain over the past few days have created challenging conditions for rural workers just as autumn begins.

WorkSafe agriculture manager Al McCone says autumn sees a lot of clean-up activity and farmers doing jobs that have been put off - just as conditions get worse.

“The weather is getting colder and wetter while farmers get to the tasks that they don’t frequently do. It’s a timely reminder for farmers to think about the risks associated with those changes, with more jobs to do while the days get shorter,” McCone says.

This period also sees an increase in the use of farm vehicles and machinery. While quad-bikes are commonly associated with farm vehicle incidents, tractors and other machinery are also involved in a large number of injuries and deaths.

“The stark fact is that nearly four out of five work-related deaths in agriculture happen as a result of machine or vehicle-related incidents,” McCone says.

“A total of 10,000 people suffered vehicle/machinery-related injuries on farms in the last six years – this resulted in ACC claims of $60 million.”

Incidents can range from slips and falls to serious injury or loss of life, for instance crushing when a tractor rolls, being struck by a mobile plant or front loaders, or being caught in equipment such as an uncovered power take-off shaft.

McCone says before beginning any job, stop and consider what you need to watch out for and how to complete it safely on that day, at that time - no matter how often you have done it before.

“Injuries often happen when people are doing routine tasks they have done many times, especially when they are under time pressure,” says McCone.

“That last job in the afternoon could turn out to be the last job – ever.”

For more information on staying safe on your farm, go to www.saferfarms.org.nz