HEALTH
Farming Tips during COVID-19 TOP TIPS FOR FARMERS DURING THE PANDEMIC. 1. Practice good personal hygiene • Sneeze into elbow. • Wash hands often (for at least 20 seconds). • Stay at least two metres apart from people not in your family unit. – This includes smoko. Try to have smoko outside, not in the shed or staff rooms if possible and if you must, make sure chairs are two metres apart. • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects (eg. door handles, steering wheels): – Keep a container of teat wipes in lots of different locations (eg. in the tractor and utes) and encourage people to use them—not just to wipe their hands, but to clean their phones and other surfaces often. – Wipe the wheel and stick shift down before and after you use them. Tractor cabs especially are little incubators! Keep the windows of all vehicles open if possible. – Wear gloves during milking. Ensure that you remove gloves when leaving the dairy to go home or to other areas of the farm. After you remove your gloves, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. – If possible one vehicle per person. If not possible then gloves in the vehicle (e.g., tractor) and wipe down steering wheel and controls before leaving. – Use technology rather than meeting in person, eg. WhatsApp, Viber, Messenger, Facetime, Skype, Zoom, etc. • If anyone feels unwell, they need to stay at home. • Stay in your "bubble" if the country is in lockdown. 2. Wear a face covering You must wear face coverings when required to by Govt protocols, check the latest requirements before you leave the farm, refer to covid19.govt.nz. Because farms are an essential service, it is mandatory when a contractor or external service provider comes on farm to work with you, that the hosts and contractors are wearing face coverings. This will not only help you keep your farm bubble safe but will mean your service providers are able to continue their essential work. 3. Look after yourself Exercise, good nutrition, sleep, healthy thinking. Visit Farmstrong.co.nz for more information. 4. Communicate with your staff In this time of uncertainty, it’s a good idea to check in frequently with your team and understand the questions they have about the effects of COVID-19 and its potential impact on your farm. Keep communicating regularly about what the team needs to do to keep those hygiene practices up. Make a set of COVID-19 rules for all people on farm. Agree them. Stick to them. Print them out where staff will see them. 5. Farming is an essential business In the event of a lockdown, you and all your staff are able to continue working whether people live on farm or off farm. The exceptions to this are if people have tested positive to COVID-19 or are required to be in self isolation.
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R E AL FARM E R
WORDS PROVIDED BY DAIRY NZ
When you and your staff travel to and from work, ensure you carry the following at all times: • Identification (eg. Drivers Licence). • A letter from your employer confirming you are conducting Essential Business work on a farm. Employers with essential workers needing to travel, will need get approved travel documentation issued by MBIE. To find out more visit the DairyNZ website. For further advice for farms and agriculture businesses visit the MPI website. 6. Do what rural communities do best—look after each other • Check in on older relatives or vulnerable people over the phone, to make sure they have everything they need. • Talking to friends, whānau and neighbours over the phone to see how they are and if they need support. • Drop off essential supplies, like food, to those that can’t or won’t leave home. You can leave them at the door. 7. Think through scenarios if the current alert level is extended • How will you look after the wellbeing of yourself and the team, while keeping up with the demands on farm? • Reach out to DairyNZ or your other key partners if you need any support or advice. To make sure you’re prepared for the unexpected, such as a positive COVID-19 case on farm, take a look at the checklist enclosed in this issue so you can get your farm, your staff and your family prepared.
