WorkSafe is giving farmers a heads up to be mindful of risks on farm this spring. In spring 2020, fatalities spiked to five during the months of August and September. Vehicles continue to be the primary source of harm in on farm fatalities. On Monday this week a person was tragically killed in an incident […]
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It’s so important to take time out
Working in the agri-nutrient sector, Calvin Ball says he has seen a significant change in farmers’ attitudes to health and safety in recent years. Calvin, the Northern 2021 FMG Young Farmer of the Year, grew up on a Northland dairy farm, studied agriscience at Massey and began his career with an agri-nutrient company in 2013. […]
Health and safety, it’s not necessarily something you can call ‘just common sense’
“Working in a rural role but desk-based has really made me reflect on the very different health and safety challenges of being ‘hands on’ on farm,” says Kieran McCahon. Kieran, Waikato/Bay of Plenty FMG Young Farmer of the Year, grew up on his family’s 1000-cow dairy farm on Northland’s Pouto Peninsula, near Dargaville. He gained […]
The job’s always going to be there – getting home safely is the main thing
Working with ANZ’s rural lending team, Taranaki/Manawatu 2021 Young Farmer of the Year Jake Jarman sees real value in good health and safety practices. “In my experience, a farm that makes health and safety a priority is a productive and profitable farm,” he says. Jake’s own health and safety focus began with a solid grounding […]
Growing professionalism driving awareness of health and safety in shearing industry
“Industry campaigns and growing professionalism are driving awareness of health and safety among shearers,” says national FMG Young Farmer of the Year finalist Joseph Watts. Yet, he still sees plenty of room for improvement. Joseph, from Waipukurau, will represent East Coast in the national competition. He began his rural career as a shearer, having completed […]
Ensure people are well trained for all the tasks they need to do
Working on massive farming operations in the United States highlighted the importance of New Zealand’s focus on health and safety for Dale McAlwee. Dale, Aorangi FMG Young Farmer of the Year, grew up near Timaru on the farm that’s been in his family for over a century. After gaining a Bachelor of Agricultural Science, he […]
People can make mistakes, so you need those safeguards in place
Sam Hodsell, the 2021 Otago-Southland FMG Young Farmer of the Year, says it’s critical to identify and manage workplace risks on their farm – but he and his family are also actively putting tangible measures in place to help protect people if someone does make a mistake. “For instance, we’ve recently purchased and had big […]
It’s about having all the basics covered and communicating well
Tasman FMG Young Farmer of the Year grand finalist Roshean Woods comes to the Young Farmer competition from a different background to many of her fellow finalists – but that gives her a range of perspectives, both from having worked on a farm and visiting farms in the course of her work. Roshean, a farm […]
A new way to encourage the use of seat belts
WorkSafe New Zealand has launched a new side-by-side vehicle simulator to try to get the message about wearing seatbelts to click with farmers. Federated Farmers vice president and spokesperson for workplace health and safety Karen Williams and the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Michael Wood gave the simulator a go at the Wellington demo […]