A farmer or agricultural worker is injured almost every half hour in New Zealand. And with the unusual snow and extreme weather conditions of the moment, ACC is stressing safety should be a concern for those out on the farms this winter.
ACC Manager of Injury Prevention, Peter Wood says you're more likely to lose control of tractors and quad bikes in extreme weather conditions, and even the risk of a bad fall is greatly increased.
“ The bad weather particularly the snow and the ice that we’ve had makes the working environment for farmers a lot more risky in terms of slips, trips and falls which are our most common injuries in these conditions. So that increases the hazards and increases the risks of these types of injuries.
"The increase of the snow and the ice means that the environment is more risky and the extra hazards means farmers need to look after themselves because they are going to get tired. They need to wrap up warm for this sort of weather.”
Mr Wood says that around 122 farmers were injured at work, every week last year in the South Island, and with the very deep snow and cold temperatures this year, they will need to be extra vigilant.
"When they are shifting around, the livestock are going to be more distressed in this environment, possibly more aggressive and difficult to handle, and even the use of equipment like tractors and quad bikes can be more extreme in these sorts of conditions.”
Mr Wood says the accidents that happen on farms are often serious, and can end a farmers days on the farm, and his ability to support his family. The most tragic thing, he says, is that most of these injuries are easily preventable.
“Really we’re sort of giving them (farmers) the simple message to not take short cuts, to be aware of the hazards and the impacts of the injury, not only on the individual, but also the financial implications for themselves and the family.”
Farmers can find tips on keeping safe in ACC's animal handling brochure and the booklets on tractor and quad bike safety.
These are available to download at www.acc.co.nz/rural
And with the arctic storm raging across the country this week Insurer FMG is saying that it’s a timely reminder of the toll bad weather can take, especially for farmers coming into lambing season.
Spokesperson Glen Croasdale told Country99TV
“The storms that have just been through are a timely reminder that bad weather patterns are becoming more predictable and although we do have early warning systems that are helping farmers to manage their stock’s situations there is a need for a second line of defence.”
FMG has introduced the new Livestock Catastrophe Insurance, the first of its kind in New Zealand, a simple cost effective insurance cover that tackles the financial impact of natural disasters….
"The thing that we are really trying to put across is our learning from the storms of last year have allowed us to introduce a new product which now gives farmers choice.
