WorkSafe New Zealand doesn’t want a repeat of scenes like this on farms across the country.
A series of fatal accidents in recent months has tragically highlighted safety needs when operating farm vehicles and machinery on farms.
Last month, a person died and three others were seriously injured after an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) rolled on a farm in Central Otago.
Earlier this year, two people died in ATV accidents, while a company was sentenced for an incident in which a farm worker was crushed to death by a hydraulic tailgate on a trailer in a farm shed in Canterbury.
In July last year, four farmers were killed in separate quad bike accidents in just three weeks.
All four incidents coincided with the start of lambing and calving season.
WorkSafe New Zealand said five people have already died in agriculture-related accidents between January and May this year, consistent with last year.
While WorkSafe’s investigations were still ongoing, central regional manager Nigel Formosa said it appeared that every one of these deaths involved a farm vehicle, mostly ATVs and quad bikes.
“The impact of these deaths on the victim’s whānau, friends and communities can’t be measured,” he said.
“In many instances, it’s the farmer’s own family who makes the call at the end of the day when they haven’t returned home.”
Following a WorkSafe investigation, a farm manager was recently sentenced for health and safety failures after a quad bike flipped at low speed and killed a farm worker on an Eketāhuna dairy farm in November 2022.
The bike was purchased second-hand and had no crush protection device installed, Formosa said.
Worn brakes, uneven tyre pressure and poor suspension were among the defects found on the bike.
“There’s no excuse for letting your farm vehicle maintenance slide,” Formosa said.
“Ideally, maintenance checks are done regularly by a mechanic in line with the manufacturer’s recommendation.
“This tragedy should be the lightning rod the agriculture sector needs to up its game on quad bike safety.”
This followed WorkSafe issuing a Safety Alert on the importance of checking and servicing quad bikes after a farm manager died of injuries when the wheels of his quad bike suddenly locked, causing the machine to roll and crush the driver, on an Ashburton farm in June 2022.
A post-accident inspection showed the quad bike’s drive belt had broken.
“Farming is a way of life for many people in New Zealand, and health and safety must be part of this way of life,” Formosa said.
He said sloped surfaces and steep terrain could also be especially problematic and have been a factor in many cases.
“Doing a risk assessment of terrain and tasks must be the top priority for farm workers before getting on a farm vehicle, especially at this time of the year.
“This is a time of year when we are experiencing variable weather and growth, and variable ground conditions.
“Sadly, based on the last couple of years, when we see this, we also see a spike in the number of fatalities.”
He said decisions made in an instant on the farm could be the difference between life and death.
“Farm vehicle incidents are one of the top two causes of workplace deaths in Aotearoa, which is why agriculture is a priority sector under WorkSafe’s new strategy.”
Formosa said WorkSafe was targeting the biggest risks and working with the sector to improve health and safety in agriculture.
“But the people with the most power to influence this are those on the ground each day doing the work.”
Agriculture accounts for around 25% of serious acute harm in New Zealand, while having only 6% of the employment.
WorkSafe’s messages to reduce harm on farms:
WorkSafe data shows 668 serious harm, injury or illness notifications concerning quad bikes between 2010 and 2022.
Coronial statistics recorded that 99 people were killed in quad bike incidents between 2007 and 2019, the majority of which happened at work.
WorkSafe has a range of advice for farmers on its website, including information on choosing the right farm vehicle, the safe use of quad bikes, tractors, motorbikes and side-by-sides.