Draft Plan Aims to Reduce High Work Toll in Agriculture

MEDIA RELEASE
14 december 2011
Draft Plan Aims to Reduce High Work Toll in Agriculture

Improving health and safety in the agriculture industry – a sector with one of the highest death and injury tolls - is the focus of a new Action Plan released for consultation today.

The draft Agriculture Sector Action Plan is part of the Government’s National Action Agenda to reduce the work toll in the five sectors where the most harm is occurring; construction, forestry, agriculture, manufacturing and fishing.

Sector Action Plans are being developed by the Department of Labour in partnership with key stakeholders in each sector. To date Action Plans have been released for the construction and forestry sectors.

The agriculture sector has one of the highest rates of work-related injury and fatalities in New Zealand. According to ACC data between 2005 and 2010 at least 50% of all injuries and nearly 60% of deaths in agriculture were related to:

• the use of agricultural vehicles and machinery
• the physical and mental health/wellbeing of agricultural workers
• slips, trips and falls, and
• animal handling.

This draft Action Plan focuses on these four areas – with 20 specific actions for government, industry, employers and sector and worker organisations to improve health and safety.

More than 30 organisations have been extensively involved in developing the draft Action Plan – together with the Department they all have a role to play in reducing the high death and injury rate in agriculture.

ENDS

Notes to Editor
• To comment on the Agriculture Sector Action Plan our website
• More information on the National Action Agenda and Sector Action Plans is available online.

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