increase font size
Farmers or landowners could be responsible – under the Health and Safety at Work Act – if an employee is injured by a faulty airbag activation.
While the Takata Airbag recall issue is well known, possibly affecting 100 million vehicles globally, closer to home, unregistered vehicles or those ‘retired’ to a farm hack or paddock basher may still have unmodified air bag systems fitted.
Takata’s airbag systems have the potential to cause serious injury if activated, which can happen with any sudden impact above 15km/h. Farmers or landowners could also be responsible – under the Health and Safety at Work Act – if an employee is injured by a faulty airbag activation or where the user was too close to the airbag or had equipment resting on the airbag cover.
This situation arises because unregistered vehicles cannot be traced by distributors when owner data is gathered from Land Transport NZ. Therefore, if there is no registration there are no owner details available.
If you are using an ex on-road vehicle for on-farm or off-road situations, which does not have a current registration, it is important to be aware that there are several active recalls on older vehicles for airbag systems. These may have deteriorated and have the potential to cause severe injury in the case of an activation.
If the vehicle is equipped with safety features such an air bag (SRS) system, these need to be either de-activated or monitored for recalls, to ensure they remain in a safe condition. Airbag systems contain explosives, so get professional advice about disabling or removing these from vehicles, as incorrect handling can also result in injury due to an accidental deployment of the airbag.
Airbag systems are designed to operate in conjunction with the correct use of seat belts — even if the vehicle being used on farm or off-road and does not have any recall issues. An airbag activation, when not using seat belts, could also result in injury if the user is too close to the point of deployment, for example, a child sitting on an adult’s knee when travelling.
Most vehicle manufacturers have links on their websites to look for any outstanding recalls on their vehicles or you can use the link for the LTNZ Safety Recall site at: https://www.vehiclerecallsafety.nzta.govt.nz/
While Nokia is more likely recognised for mobile devices, a major investment of €70m (NZ$126m) by global farm machinery brand AGCO at its facility in Linnavuori, in Nokia, will see the plant establish a new laboratory for testing combustion engines running on alternative fuels, alongside a range of electric solutions, including hybrids, fuel cells and high-voltage battery technology.
Evan Paxton and his family at Riverview Farms, Dargaville, are one of New Zealand’s leading suppliers of kumara.
There can't be many heavy metal fans who haven’t heard of Basildon, situated about 40km east of London and originally created in 1948 to deal with the population boom after the Second World War.
Think of a RAM 1500 or a Chevrolet Silverado and compare them to a Ranger or a Hilux: One is obviously a truck, and the other is a ute.
With effluent management never far from the thoughts of legislators and farmers becoming increasingly aware of the nutrient values of dairy effluent, innovate ideas for the convenient storage and subsequent discharge are always of interest.
The country’s 4200 commercial fruit and vegetable growers will vote from May 14 on a new HortNZ levy.
Meat processor Alliance Group is asking farmer shareholders to inject more capital in order to remain a 100% co-operative.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.
