A basic template that farmers can use to prepare safety and health plans for their individual operations is at the core of a new Manitoba ag safety campaign.
The province on Friday, just ahead of Canadian Agricultural Safety Week running March 14-20, said it will launch its new Safe Farms Check program this spring.
“Farms are a hive of activity involving chemicals, heavy equipment and unpredictable animals, any of which could cause serious injuries to adults and children,” Agriculture Minister Stan Struthers said in a release.
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“The new Safe Farms Check program will help producers prepare safety plans that will help them anticipate challenges in daily activities and map out ways to avoid potential hazards.”
Coming out of a two-year pilot project, the new program will offer Manitoba farmers a plan template that can be customized to individual farms.
The template “will help farmers identify and control hazards, create emergency preparedness plans, identify safety and health responsibilities for people working on farms, conduct inspections, develop safe work procedures for all tasks and identify the causes of injuries,” the province said.
Ag Safety Week’s national theme for 2010 is “Plan,” part of a three-year campaign titled Plan•Farm•Safety.
“Raising awareness of the potential risks and dangers on a farm is the first step towards keeping everyone safe in this potentially dangerous environment,” provincial Labour Minister Jennifer Howard said in the province’s release.
“Creating safe agricultural workplaces is a challenge, but a strong emphasis on planning combined with education can make a difference.”
Information on Manitoba’s Safe Farms Check program, including a program binder, sample program and handouts, is available online.
