Photo: 123rf.com
Farmers are being urged to be careful on motorbikes at work this festive season.
WorkSafe is investigating the deaths of two workers on quad bikes recently - one near Stratford in late November, and the other near Tauranga in December.
From its latest data, there were 261 work-related incidents involving vehicles on farms between June last year and May this year.
Principal inspector Graham Bates said farms and orchards were especially busy at this time of year, which was often when injuries happen.
"Leading into Christmas, we do see a spike of incidents, so it's about keeping mindful of those busy periods and managing the days better," Bates said.
"It's about keeping abreast of what they've got to do and planning it accordingly, so they're not having to do it at any great speed or feeling rushed."
Bates said farmers decided what vehicles would be best for their farming business - for many it was side-by-sides, four-wheeler quad bikes or two-wheeler motorbikes - but he said whatever they chose, vehicle training and mapping out a farm's hazards were key.
He said farmers could also consider adding crush protection devices in case the vehicle rolls onto the driver.
"Last year there were 114 dairy farmers 40 or younger who needed more than a week off work [after being] injured by a vehicle at work.
"This is 43 percent of the entire agriculture industry across all ages groups.
"So it's about being mindful of the risks involved in their work activities and take care and come home."
But that's down on the 168 ag-related work injuries that resulted in more than a week off work last December.
Twelve people working in agriculture died on the job between July 2022 and June this year.
