When you read this, some of you will be in the midst of final preparations. Amongst this you may have new staff additions, the return of familiar faces, and the coming and going from your premises of contractors and others. It’s safe to say everyone will have a lot on their mind. For those operating during this time, health and safety is a topic for some that may feel daunting or evoke mixed feelings. Yet we all agree that it is incredibly important.
In 2023/2024 to date there are 462 ACC active claims covering winegrowing and winery accidents. The most common form of injury is from lifting, carrying and strains. Punctures, loss of balance and work property/characteristics are also specified as contributing activities in a large number of claims.
Like many accidents, these are often preventable. So regardless of your role, the new year is a perfect time to refresh yourself on good workplace practice and ensure you understand and act upon your workplace health and safety obligations.
General Health and Safety Requirements
You should all be familiar with the obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 to take reasonably practicable steps to address risks. Duties under the Act can apply to everyone, whether you are:
- in charge of the vineyard or winery;
- a company, director, trustee, business partner, or CEO;
- a worker in a vineyard or winery; or
- a contractor or visitor to the vineyard or winery.
So What Does This Actually Look Like?
Well, it shouldn’t be complicated or burdensome. The first step is to stocktake what you already have in place. Do you have the following?
- Site rules, maps and emergency plans
- Contractor orientation induction forms
- Training registers for use of equipment
- Maintenance records and instructions for use of machinery
- Accident/near miss reports
These are just some examples of the types of documents that you’ll need – what’s relevant to each workplace, and their contents, can vary.
Secondly, are the risks you’ve identified on site current and can they be managed?
Ask yourself:
- Have site conditions changed this harvest from last year?
- Are we asking our staff to do something new? If so, have they been appropriately inducted/trained for this?
- Has older machinery been serviced, do we need to explain new machinery to staff?
- Have you identified and planned for a health and safety worst case scenario?
- How will we brief our staff, and have they had the chance to provide their own input?
To help simplify this process, New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) has tailored material to assist you, including on vineyard and winery self-assessment checklists and common site risks. There is also our “Working Well” guide with practical advice and resources. You can find more information in the health and safety section of the NZW members site: nzwine.com/members/advocacy/health-safety. Some of the material has also been produced by or in collaboration with WorkSafe and ACC.
The Importance of Safety on Quad Bikes
In December 2023 alone, there were five fatalities arising from quad bike accidents in New Zealand – and of course, even one fatality is too many. If you or your workers use quad bikes, it is important to be mindful of the particular risks these pose. Do you/they need better training on how to ride quad bikes? Is this the right job for a quad bike, or would another vehicle be more suitable? Are the weather conditions right for this work? Should you consider crush protection? Some specific information on quad bike safety is available at saferfarms.co.nz/manageyourrisks
As We Head Into Vintage 2024
Take care of yourself and those around you. This can be a stressful time of year, and wellbeing is paramount to getting the ‘best’ out of your staff (and yourself!). NZW also has information on staying mentally fit, as well as physically fit, on its website: nzwine.com/en/events/health-and-wellbeing/ Watch this space for further information about Go You! webinars in 2024.
As always please don’t hesitate to contact your friendly NZW Advocacy team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. should have any questions, or indeed any other compliance or regulatory matters – we are here to help. We wish you all the best for a safe, healthy and successful vintage 2024.
Disclaimer
This article is provided as general information and guidance and does not constitute legal advice. While all due care and attention has been exercised in preparing this article, neither New Zealand Winegrowers Inc nor its employees/agents accept any liability of any kind for any loss and/or damage that may arise from reliance on the information presented.
James Kane is Legal and Policy Advisor at NZW
