New safety initiative as farming remains the top cause of work-related fatalities in New Zealand

Farming remains the primary contributor to workplace fatalities in New Zealand, representing 40% of all documented deaths.

The sector has now been designated as a priority by WorkSafe, which is allocating 25% of its resources to improve the statistics.

According to inspections manager Rob Pope, there were 14 fatalities among workers on farms in the previous year.

"It's the highest fatality and risk industry that is reported and that is really unacceptable."

Pope remarked that vehicles were the leading factor contributing to fatalities on farms, with hazardous chemicals like fertilizers posing an additional concern.

"Quite often, it's just inattention to the simple things that would make a difference between whether a seat at the table is empty or not. You can get lulled into a sense of false security and it’s that moment of inattention that can have really serious consequences."

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