Check you're getting the right advice

There's no substitute for the knowledge farmers and workers have of the land they work on and its day-to-day operation.

If you buy health and safety advice, make sure it's the right advice.

Good health and safety practice is not something you can just buy off the shelf, and farmers need to build health and safety into everyday activity on farm.

WorkSafe's agriculture programme manager, Al McCone, says while many farmers will want to get consultants in to give them expert advice, there is no single product or document that is a silver bullet for farm safety.

Farmers should only employ competent and qualified professional health and safety advisers.

"When selecting a new contractor or buying stock, farmers do their homework," says Mr McCone.

"They shop around, look online, ask other farmers and make a decision based on sound information. The same should apply to buying health and safety advice and resources.

"Farmers should make sure that they're not simply going to get a folder or piles of forms someone else has done for them. That won't make their farm any safer. What they actually need is a way of building a health and safety culture into farm activities and constructing a really effective culture of involving everyone."

There is no substitute for the unique knowledge the farmer, family and workers have of the land, its terrain, its facilities and also its day-to-day operation, says Mr McCone.

"What's most important is everyone on farm thinking about the risks and managing them so everyone stays healthy and safe. When everyone is involved there is a positive impact on other parts of the business."

Mr McCone says that, while there are good health and safety consultants out there, they are not all of the same quality and effectiveness.

To help farmers buy the right kind of support, the Health and Safety Association of New Zealand (HASANZ), the national umbrella organisation representing all workplace health and safety professions, has developed a simple checklist:

Ask them these five quick questions before making a decision:

• Which professional association do you belong to - can you confirm this?
• What qualifications and/or certification do you have?
• What relevant skills and experience do you have for this job?
• Can you give me examples of similar work you have done recently?
• Are you happy for us to contact your clients about your work for them?