Ex-AB tackles farm safety myths

North Canterbury farmer and former All Black hardman Richard Loe admits to having two near misses with farm vehicles.

One involved a quad bike and the other a tractor, the two biggest causes of farming deaths.

With the quad bike he once had to ‘‘get off too quickly for my liking’’.

In another incident, last year, he had a suspended 1000-litre pod of milk come off a front-end loader on a tractor. While he thought he was standing at a safe distance, he was near enough Richard Loe for the dislodged pod to glance him, giving him a head gash requiring stitches.

Loe, who is a WorkSafe safer farms ambassador, wants to dispel some myths around the safe use of farm vehicles.

WorkSafe agriculture engagement lead Al McCone said confusion existed among farmers about on-farm safe practice, particularly involving vehicles.

‘‘What we don’t want is farmers to put effort and belief into something that isn’t right.

‘‘A good example, is seatbelts on tractors.

‘‘There is a clearly held belief in some sectors of the agricultural community, including contractors, that when a tractor, ute, truck or other farm vehicle rolls the best thing to do is to throw yourself clear.

‘‘That is a myth and all the coroners’ reports tell us that, but it still persists.

‘‘There is an element of common sense here. If you are driving a tractor on a flat track on a dairy farm and have to open four gates within 100 metres then perhaps you don’t have your seatbelt on.

‘‘But the minute you get on a slope or are driving some distance, then the seatbelt is there to be used,’’ McCone said.

Accidents involving quad bikes and tractors account for more than half of the 20 or so agricultural deaths each year. While deaths dipped last year to nine, nine deaths have already been recorded this year.

‘‘Quad bikes are an issue and again it comes back to how they are being used and what they are being used for. They are a versatile machine and people tend to push them to their limits.’’