As farmers continue to clean up fallen trees after the October 23 storm, stories are emerging of serious injuries suffered by inexperienced workers, WorkSafe says.
Severe winds flattened shelter belts and brought down powerlines across Southland and parts of Otago, and dangerous clean-ups are still under way.
In a statement last month, WorkSafe inspector Emma Boyd, who had been responding to immediate danger on farm visits across Southland, said because expert help was scarce, inexperienced workers were taking on hazardous jobs, handling chainsaws and heavy machinery while fatigue climbed and the clean-up dragged on.
In one case, a man fell 4m while using a chainsaw to de-limb a partly fallen tree on a farm.
He needed four hours of surgery after suffering a punctured lung, internal bleeding and a smashed rib cage.
Another worker had a chainsaw smash a bone in his foot and cut 90% of the way through a tendon.
WorkSafe was seeing "good intentions without matching skills and it’s driving dangerous behaviour", she said.
WorkSafe was issuing prohibition notices when unsafe chainsaw or machinery use was identified, unless an immediate fix could be made.
"Storm-damaged trees are loaded with hidden forces that can kill or maim in seconds," Ms Boyd said.
"These aren’t the usual jobs farmers are used to.
"We know fallen trees are a disruption, but getting injured in the clean-up is far more of a disruption."
WorkSafe’s advice was clear: don’t attempt to do-it-yourself with hazardous trees. People should use temporary fencing to cordon off dangerous areas and wait until an expert could come to them.
"This isn’t routine firewood splitting. Calling in a professional is smart farming, not a sign of weakness."
WorkSafe was particularly concerned about improvised approaches, when unsuitable machinery was being pressed into service and workers were tackling jobs without the specialised gear and training required for storm work.
"Don’t let your enthusiasm to get your farm fully operational again cloud your judgement on what’s safe and what’s not," she said.
