"They shop around, look online, ask other farmers and make a decision based on sound information. The same should apply to buying health and safety advice and resources.
"Farmers should make sure that they're not simply going to get a folder or piles of forms someone else has done for them. That won't make their farm any safer. What they actually need is a way of building a health and safety culture into farm activities and constructing a really effective culture of involving everyone."
There is no substitute for the unique knowledge the farmer, family and workers have of the land, its terrain, its facilities and also its day-to-day operation, says Mr McCone.
"What's most important is everyone on farm thinking about the risks and managing them so everyone stays healthy and safe. When everyone is involved there is a positive impact on other parts of the business."
Mr McCone says that, while there are good health and safety consultants out there, they are not all of the same quality and effectiveness.
To help farmers buy the right kind of support, the Health and Safety Association of New Zealand (HASANZ), the national umbrella organisation representing all workplace health and safety professions, has developed a simple checklist:
Ask them these five quick questions before making a decision:
• Which professional association do you belong to - can you confirm this?
• What qualifications and/or certification do you have?
• What relevant skills and experience do you have for this job?
• Can you give me examples of similar work you have done recently?
• Are you happy for us to contact your clients about your work for them?
