Rural Contractors are being urged to avoid fatigue this harvest. Photo: Rural Contractors New Zealand
Rural contractors are being urged to think about the 'F' word during the busy harvest period.
Contractors work long days to make sure everything gets done, but when they are behind the wheel of huge machines, fatigue can lead to some dangerous results.
Rural Contractors New Zealand has launched a toolkit with information about what both employees and employers can do to avoid fatigue.
Chief executive Andrew Olsen said during spring, contractors crack on with the job without having a chat with farmers or employers about expectations.
"Our members are up against it with the weather, crop deadlines and client expectations but they can put themselves and their staff under too much pressure. They need to build in breaks and pace things so no one gets fatigued which can cause stress and much worse.
"Big machines may be able to operate 24 hours a day, but those behind the wheel need their sleep and breaks to be able to do the job safely."
Olsen said the last thing anyone wanted was for a fatigued driver to do harm to themselves or someone else.
"We are saying, let's all work for a safe season by avoiding fatigue."
There needed to be a better focus on having the employer understand how the employee felt, and vice versa, he said.
"That's why we wanted to launch this campaign to have resources for both sides and to start some conversations. We hope everyone in the industry goes online and has a read through and watches the videos."
Olsen said after a hard day's work on the tools, it was easy to head home and have a couple beers and fish and chips - but that did not recharge you for the next day.
"Fatigue after a long day driving the tractor has similar symptoms to being impaired by alcohol - it impairs your ability to manage things that normally wouldn't be a problem when you're fresh.
"So it's important to fuel your body with the right stuff and make sure you're getting enough rest."
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