As a principal who owns vehicles:

1. Ensure that all persons driving vehicles wear seatbelts;
2. Ensure that a documented Health and Safety Policy is in place which expressly addresses the requirement for contractors and employees to wear seatbelts when operating plant;
3. Ensure that all people engaged to drive vehicles are competent and qualified; and
4. Ensure that risk and hazard assessments are undertaken in respect of all vehicles to be driven by the contractors.

At trial the Court added in the following practicable steps:

5. Clearly and effectively communicate the company’s expectation of its contractors as to how they should conduct themselves in relation to health and safety and the hazards they may face in the field relating to conditions and terrain or driving off road.
6. How any job should be assessed for risks and hazards should be noted down. Simply working from memory is a risk in itself and talking is not enough.
7. Require contractors to wear the installed seatbelt when driving a Bulk Fertiliser Spreader off road. The industry (NZ Ground Spreader Fertilisers Association), WorkSafe and the New Zealand Police (Specialist Crash Unit) all support the wearing of seatbelts for health and safety reasons even though it is not mandatory by law.
8. Develop an effective process which could be implemented to scope conditions of land before it was worked. If done, this could reduce harm by vehicles slipping or crashing or rolling.