KEY POINTS:
Too many farmers are turning their hand to tasks for which they lack either the right skills or the right tools, says ACC.
The Accident Compensation Corporation plans to use true stories of farmers who have suffered long-term injuries to push its message that a "she'll be right" attitude on farm safety is not worth the risk.
Many farmers think that getting injured is part of being a farmer and that if it happens they just have to "harden up" and get on with it, ACC's agriculture manager, Peter Jones said.
"Their sense of `can-do' leads them to do jobs or activities that they may not have the skills or the equipment for.
"That can easily end in injury."
Between July 2006 and June 2007, 4500 farmers were hurt so badly they were off work for weeks or months.
"If a farmer is badly injured their lifestyle and income is at serious risk," said Mr Jones.
"Not only must they pay someone else to do their job for them, they may never be able to farm again".
ACC will run advertisements in rural media with the tagline: If you're injured, you take the farm with you.
"ACC is using the true stories of injured farmers who want to help others learn from their mistakes.
Each of these farmers realise that what they were doing was dangerous, but they thought they could get away with it one more time."
- NZPA
