Displaying items by tag: WorkSafeNZ

Dairy farm injuries rise during calving and WorkSafe is reminding farmers of the risks posed by livestock and vehicles.

If your workers do things outside the rules of your business and you’ve told them not to, then they will be held ultimately responsible for any incident, says Al McCone, programme manager agriculture, WorkSafe New Zealand.

Workplace safety Minister Michael Woodhouse has described the old legislation on workplace safety as a “bugger’s muddle”. 

Farmers are anxious about what the health and safety reform will bring and the new challenges that lie on the horizon. 

You know something is up in the farming world when three different government agencies are all casting a critical eye over the sector.

The southerly blast in April was a reminder to much of the country that winter is not far away.  Let’s hope we get a bit more mild autumn weather before winter kicks in.

The Hound understands that more than a few farmers are feeling uncomfortable about the new work health and safety regime onfarm being promoted by WorkSafe NZ.

In April two people died on farms in ‘workplace’ deaths – one was a boy aged 14. And in Waikato in April a toddler nearly drowned in dairy farm effluent. 

The ban on passengers on quads is inhibiting farmers getting good professional advice, says a Gisborne farmer, Mark Gemmell.

Between 2009 and 2014 there were 241 workplace fatalities in New Zealand.