Labour leader Andrew Little says some Government MPs and Ministers are "terrified'' of the farming lobby group.

Labour leader Andrew Little has slammed farmers for failing to speak out about new health and safety rules that deem worm farming riskier than cattle and continue to put the lives of agriculture staff at stake.

Any leadership in the farming community is completely absent despite the industry having the "worst health and safety record of any industry in the sector," Little said.

On Wednesday, Workplace Relations Minister Michael Woodhouse released a list of 57 high risk industries which would require health and safety representatives even where there are fewer than 20 staff.

READ MORE: Government deems mini-golf and worm farming more risky than cattle farming

The new classifications have been heavily mocked with worm farms and mini golf courses being defined as "high risk" while dairy and cattle farms are not.

Little told Radio NZ it was "crazy stuff" that dairy, sheep and beef farmers weren't high risk, "but if you're a worm farmer or making yoghurt or picking up pine cones you are".

"Drawing this distinction and making these distinctions to butter up the farming community, that on this issue at least has completely abandoned any sense of leadership is totally wrong and now we're dealing with these absurdities."

"Farmers needed to step up to the plate rather than the whinging and moaning they've clearly done to their friends in cabinet to try and get themselves excluded from the legislation."

ACT leader David Seymour is voting for the Government bill, despite its "absurdities" because "public policy is about realistic alternatives".

"If you try and have a bill that is proportional across a wide range of industries then you're going to get some absurd results and I accept that.

"But I challenge you and the critics of the bill to say how exactly are you supposed to get a proportional level of regulation that ensures health and safety in the most dangerous areas without leading to absurdity," he told Radio NZ.

Seymour said, in some cases, having to have a health and safety representative "might actually make health and safety worse" so it was right that low risk industries were exempt from that.

But Little blames the "watered-down" bill on National MPs and Ministers being "terrified of the farming lobby".

He said farmers have reverted to a "classic culture" of thinking they shouldn't be bound by the same rules as the rest of society.

"I totally reject that and in the absence of leadership from politicians on the government side, we actually need the farming community, responsible farmers, to step up and say we can do better, we'll take responsibility... and we will do what is right to improve New Zealand's health and safety record."

"That responsibility sits as much with the farming community as it does with politicians," he said.

While Woodhouse admitted worm farming didn't seem dangerous - he said the categories were broken down to the "appropriate granular level".

Little said he would take the weekend to think seriously about what further steps Labour can take to make changes to the Health and Safety reform bill before its back in Parliament for debate on Tuesday.

"I would hope the politicians who are now sitting at the centre of this ridiculous carve-up have a good hard think and realise what we need is one good consistent strong law," he said.