Government considering introducing 'No Claims Discounts' to ACC premiums.

Posted by Waverley Klein Ovink on 22 September 2010 | 0 Comments

With the recent announcement by ACC of the proposed ‘no claims discount’ there is more reason than ever to ensure staff have safe facilities. Under the proposed pricing framework customers with proven good health and safety and claims management behavior could be rewarded with a discount on their levies, and those with poor claims histories could receive a levy increase.  The changes are intended to provide financial incentives for businesses to invest in methods of injury prevention for example better stock handling facilities.

According to ACC, the three leading causes of farm injuries in 2009 were poor handling of animals, quad bikes, and farm machinery.  There were 1,700 farm workers injured by cattle last year (that’s a staggering 1 every 34 minutes), costing ACC $6million.

Waverley Klein Ovink from The Wrangler Ltd welcomed the move.  “It is good to see ACC rewarding good farmers for providing safe facilities for their staff.  We used to see a lot of injuries from people treating lame cows - knife wounds, broken bones, and even brain injuries”, explained Waverley.  “Thankfully the culture of farming has changed and now safe facilities are seen as vital”.

The Wrangler is a cattle crush designed to make the handling of dairy animals safe.  Its key concept is the use of belly girths to hold the cow and stop her falling during treatment as well as braces and winches to hold the cow’s legs during hoof examination and trimming.  Since its release in 1995 the New Zealand designed crush has received numerous awards and is now considered as essential equipment in every dairy shed.

The proposed ‘experience rating’ will be calculated by comparing each customer to the average in their industry group.  This means farmers preventing injuries by using cattle handling equipment such as a Wrangler to prevent injuries could be financially better off under the new system than those who don’t.

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