The national shearing industry health and safety group is concerned about a "gung ho" approach from those in the industry to wearing seat belts while travelling to and from work and has backed comments made yesterday by Otago-Southland Coroner David Crerar.
In his findings into the death of two young people in a shearing van crash at Poolburn two years ago, Mr Crerar said he had anecdotal evidence of "general neglect by employees in the shearing industry in the use of seat belts".
He found the major contributing factor in the death of Stewart Smith and Lavenia Setefano, passengers in a van that crashed on the way to work, was their failure to wear seat belts provided for them.
Evidence was given at the inquest in November by New Zealand Shearing Industry health and safety committee chairman Peter Taylor, who said many people in the industry were lax about wearing seat belts, with a "gung ho" approach.
Contacted by the Otago Daily Times yesterday for comment, Mr Taylor praised Mr Crerar's findings and recommendations.
The committee had produced a draft set of "best practice" guidelines, developed for the industry, which focused on transport to and from work.
These had gone to the Department of Labour for comment and would eventually be adopted by employers in the industry.
Although they were voluntary, they would "carry weight" if an accident took place and employers were found not to have followed the guidelines.
"The lack of seat belt wearing is still the biggest single concern we have around the whole transport issue, " Mr Taylor said.
"What we have to do is to change the culture, to get it into people's heads that they need to use their seat belts.
"That's hard, but it's something we'll keep on hammering, because it's so important."
"The comments by the coroner add weight to our guidelines and his comments are a great example of the legal system, the coroner's court, working alongside the industry to make things better for those working in the industry."
The shearing industry was under pressure, with sheep numbers declining, but it was being proactive in working with government agencies to make conditions better for employers and employees, through the "best practice" guidelines, he said.
Stewart Smith's father, Hadfield Smith, of Gisborne, said although nothing could bring his son back, the inquest had given Stewart's family some "closure".
"What we wanted was for things to be investigated and things tightened up so it is prevented from ever happening again.
"We've done what we could and the coroner has, too."
He hoped shearing contractors would take note of the coroner's recommendations.
Lavenia Setefano's parents, Joe Setefano and Rhonda Newman, of Gore, said they were still "absorbing" the contents of the coroner's findings and preferred not to comment at this stage.
