Friday, 22 May 2020 11:32

Helping comply with safety

Written by  Mark Daniel

With on-farm safety being a real challenge, especially for employers, the Smart HS approach might offer some answers.

Developed by Donna Clarke and Graham Foote, the online resource delivers structured training delivered in a straightforward manner with common sense as a key driving force. 

Both from a rural and corporate background, the couple now operate a kiwifruit orchard in the Bay of Plenty. Graham, who also worked as a dairy farmer, put his practical skills to good use in the training sector. This included working with Farmsafe, Drive Zone and Ag Challenge, training operators to NZQA standards for the use of quads, side-by-sides, tractors and 4WD vehicles. He also did training for Fonterra, NorthPower, the Department of Corrections and of course many farmers and growers.

Smart HS offers a series of online training courses, covering the likes of motorbikes, quads, side by sides and tractors. 

Each course is broken into modules. For example, with side by sides, the course covers the legal requirements and regulations, safety and maintenance, machine controls, driving tips, load dynamics and recovering from awkward situations. 

As the candidate moves through each of the modules – a process that can be monitored by the employer – they receive current, straightforward information, supported by video content that demonstrates the likely outcomes if good health and safety practice is not applied.

In the case of farm tractors, the modules consist of the legalities, safety and maintenance, controls, safe towing, safe use of 3-point linkage and PTO driven implements, managing tractor dynamics and common mishaps. Once again, the information is practical, well thought out and clearly demonstrates Foote’s experience gained over many years.

Moving on from the study modules, the owner or operators can move onto practical modules, putting the theory into practice. Indeed, should farm owners or managers wish to upskill, they can also undertake courses to become a Smart HS assessor. This helps them to understand a trainees’ ability to understand, make behavioural changes and ultimately benefit from the content.

The online information is also available to use as refresher training for existing employees, so with a typical theory and practical module costing around $270, it seems a small price to pay for sound, practical advice that meets the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act of 2015.

www.smarths.co.nz

More like this

Drug survey

OPINION: New national data from The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA), a leading workplace drug tester, shows methamphetamine (meth) use is growing and making up a disproportionate share of nonnegative workplace drug test results.

Accident triggers traffic alert in barns, sheds

WorkSafe New Zealand is calling on farmers to consider how vehicles move inside their barns and sheds, following a sentencing for a death at one of South Canterbury’s biggest agribusinesses.

Crush death triggers on-farm traffic alert

Following a sentencing for a death at a South Canterbury agribusiness, WorkSafe New Zealand is calling on farmers to consider how vehicles move inside their barns and sheds.

Featured

NZ household food waste falls again

Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.

Editorial: No joking matter

OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.

DairyNZ plantain trials cut nitrate leaching by 26%

DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.

National

Machinery & Products

JDLink Boost for NZ farms

Connectivity is widely recognised as one of the biggest challenges facing farmers, but it is now being overcome through the…

New generation Defender HD11

The all-new 2026 Can-Am Defender HD11 looks likely to raise the bar in the highly competitive side-by-side category.

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Full cabinet

OPINION: Legislation being drafted to bring back the controversial trade of live animal exports by sea is getting stuck in the…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter