Farm Accidents Cost £2m A Year

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30438, 12 May 1964, Page 13

Farm Accidents Cost £2m A Year

Accidents on farms last year cost the farming industry 450,000 days’ work, estimated to amount to almost £2 million, the director of the National Safety Association (Mr R. F. Aitken) said when opening the fifth farm safety course in Christchurch yesterday.

In the same period 200 farmers or their employees were so badly injured that they had to give up their calling, while 4288 persons were injured to the extent that they were confined to homes or hospitals for an average period of thtee months and a half each.

“On an average, every farmer in New Zealand pays £220 a farm each year for accidents,” Mr Aitken said. Tractors continued to be the cause of the largest number of farm deaths. Mr Aitken said the position must get worse as new ground was broken in. If the increasing rate of tractor fatalities were to be averted, he said the time had come when the driver must be given some protection.

Apart from tractors, the woolshed was the worst place on the farm for accidents and during 1963 nearly 350 shearers Were badly injured as well as 31 woolpressers.

Circular Saws Chain and circular saws claimed 82 serious accidents during the period. Accidents of this type were increasing at an alarming rate, Mr ,Aitken said.

More than 1600 accidents resulted from the handling and use of hand tools and other objects, all of which were a direct result of inexperience or lack of care.

) In addition there were 50 > serious accidents with pumps t and engines. These accidents ■ resulted in an average of 106 ■ days of work lost for each int jury, said Mr Aitken. ; The conference, which will • last until Friday morning, is 1 being attended by farm safety officers of the Young Farmers’

Club movement from all parts of New Zealand. Included on the agenda are lectures covering all aspects of farm safety and demonstrations of safety methods and techniques, as well as films and discussions.