Farmers have a say on work safety

Farmers are being asked what would make rural work safer.

WorkSafe New Zealand has released draft health and safety guidelines, for those working in the agriculture industry, for public consultation.

WorkSafe NZ national programmes manager Francois Barton said the draft guidelines had been developed in partnership with industry bodies and subject experts to ensure they met the needs of New Zealand farmers.

‘‘Good guidance is critical for farmers to know what safe work looks like, and these guidelines will play an important role in helping farm owners and managers understand and comply with their obligations and duties,’’ Barton said.

‘‘This is a really important opportunity for those most affected to have their say about agricultural health and safety. These are the people closest to the dangers and their views are very important.’’

He said the level of serious workplace injuries and fatalities on farms was unacceptable.

The deadline for submissions is Friday. Go to eworksafe. govt.nz to give feedback.

Finalised guidelines will be published in June. Consultation guides: Safe use of tractors on farms; safe use of two- wheeled motorbikes on farms; handling sheep safely; handling cattle safely; handling horses safely on farms; staying safe in and around milking sheds; preventing noise-induced hearing loss on farms; preventing manual handling injuries on farms; preventing slips, trips and falls on farms.