Provisional statistics from the Department of Labour show that 50% of workplace fatalities in the first four months of 2011 occurred in the agricultural sector1. These figures speak for themselves. The rate that farming families, their employees and contractors are dying as a result of farm accidents is horrific.

For moral, social and economic reasons the sector's occupational safety and health (OSH) record must be improved and fast. This article lists some steps to help comply with OSH obligations on your farm or rural businesses.

Steps to improve health and safety

If you are responsible for a workplace, you must take all practicable steps to identify and then eliminate, isolate and minimise workplace hazards.

Know your obligations.
Get advice. The Department of Labour has a wealth of free industry-specific information, see www.dol.govt.nz.

Put your obligations into practice.
You will need to undertake a hazard identification process and develop the appropriate response to those hazards (whether that is by setting policies, supplying protective equipment, guards, maintenance and so on).

You must be directly involved in doing this; no one will know your farm or rural business and its hazards as well as you do. External consultants (and dont forget your employees) can be useful, however, to help identify issues of which you might not have otherwise been aware.

Have a full induction process for all employees.
This includes ensuring all employees have appropriate employment agreements a legal requirement. Employment agreements are a good starting point for your OSH procedures because they are, probably, the only contracts that you will enter into with your employees.

Employment agreements should set out basic rights and obligations, including those relating to OSH.
Employment agreements should also state appropriate disciplinary action if your employees do not comply with your OSH requirements.
What is important is that you must then buy into your own OSH requirements and back up employee non-compliance with disciplinary action.
It usually follows the course of a verbal warning, a written warning and then probably dismissal,
but in serious cases may result in instant dismissal.

For example, if your farm worker rides a motorcycle without lights at night, take disciplinary action.
If another worker fails to wear a helmet or use safety equipment, then take disciplinary action.
If this means you are dismissing employees then, ultimately, that has to be better for your business than retaining employees who are a danger to themselves and others.

Training and supervision.
Your employees must be adequately trained and supervised.
Not everyone learns well in a formal learning environment such as a seminar or reading a manual;
you may have people for whom having a buddy system works best. If that's the case,
its appropriate to record that in your health and safety manual as one of your policies.
At the very least, it is sensible that all staff undertake a first aid course.

Staff communications.
Have regular staff meetings where OSH issues can be raised.
You want to create a workplace where your employees feel safe asking for advice and are proactive in identifying potential hazards.

Contractors.
Ensure your contractors are aware of your OSH policy. Preferably, get them to sign a contract up-front stating they have read the policy and agree to abide with it.

Action plan.
Have a plan outlining what to do if there's an accident
                    Your first priority is to help the injured person, give first aid, then get emergency assistance
                    Secure the accident scene; don't interfere with it
                    Notify the Department of Labour. Ring 0800 20 90 20 if the accident has caused serious harm or if in doubt, and,
                   Get support. For example, who is milking the cows? If you do get professional advisers involved, check that they routinely practise in health and safety law and can give immediate advice.

Get insurance.
While you cannot insure against OSH fines, you can insure against the legal costs of dealing with an OSH investigation and/or prosecution.

Whilst OSH requirements may seem onerous, it is your moral and legal responsibility to keep yourself, and your employees and contractors safe. Good health and safety is also good business.