Changes to New Zealand Farm Safety Afoot

NEW ZEALAND – New health and safety reforms have made “key improvements” to simplify legislation, including defining responsibilities on farms.
calendar icon 29 July 2015
clock icon 1 minute read

Recreational farm visitors are responsible for their own safety, including hunters, mountain bikers and anglers under the Workplace Health and Safety Reform Bill.

The bill targets a 25 per cent reduction in workplace death and injury by 2020.

IMAGE NAME/DESCRIPTION
Homes will not be classed as the workplace: James Parsons

Replacing the Health and Safety in Employment act of 1992, the bill acts on recommendations the Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety under the ‘Working Safer’ blueprint.

Red meat producer group Beef and Lamb New Zealand has welcomed the bill, although says work is still needed.

Chairman James Parsons said: "There are still a number of issues that need to be resolved to further clarify responsibilities and to improve on-farm safety while taking into account the practicalities of modern day farming. We will keep working with government and officials to seek a workable outcome.

"Some of these aspects fall within the regulations as opposed to the legislation. Passengers being carried safely on quad bikes are one such area which we still haven't resolved with WorkSafe. So it is important that farmers continue to make their views known as the regulations are being drafted up."

He said the changes recognised the “unique features” of workplaces and homes as rural families and that the bill excluded homes as part of the workplace.

TheCattleSite News Desk

© 2000 - 2024 - Global Ag Media. All Rights Reserved | No part of this site may be reproduced without permission.