Reading Time: 2 minutes I am sure I am not alone in saying that COVID-19 has dominated my thoughts, conversations, plans, work and social life for the past year. We all hoped we would have moved past this point by now — and while we are getting closer, we are not there yet. With all the (rightful) attention being […] Read more
Opinion: You say safety is a priority, but the stats tell a different story
Farm accidents will spike in these hectic and stressful months so please give safety more attention
Be seen and be safe when moving farm equipment on roads
Do everything you can to be visible, and consider taking extra measures, says expert
Reading Time: 3 minutes Think there’s no way a massive piece of farm machinery travelling down a highway can be completely unseen? Consider this story. On the morning of Jan. 4 of this year, a 72-year-old man died when a semi-trailer hit the tractor he was driving on a two-lane highway in southern Manitoba. The driver of the semi […] Read more
Take it personally — and make a commitment, says farm safety expert
Don’t practise on-farm safety because the government says so — do it for yourself and your family
Reading Time: 3 minutes Working safely on the farm is like getting ready to jump out of an airplane. You can’t afford to pack your parachute right only some of the time — you have to do it right every time. That line of thinking is the same producers should be using in their safety procedures every day, safety […] Read more
Is your setup safe? If so, you’re doing all of these things
Reading Time: 2 minutes We often think how we can work our cows to avoid stress and injury to them. But spare a thought for the handlers — whether yourself, employees or your vet. “Some people will definitely put you in harm’s way, and not even know it,” said Dr. Roy Lewis, who was a large-animal vet for more […] Read more
The four ‘whats’ and four ‘hows’ of farm safety
Asking some very simple questions can take you a long way in making the farm safer
Reading Time: 2 minutes Putting farm safety practices in place takes time and commitment. But many best practices don’t necessarily have to be formal or difficult, said Alan Quilley, a safety expert for more than 40 years who has helped some of the biggest employers in Canada build their safety cultures. He calls his model an integrated safety management […] Read more
There’s still a high bar on workplace safety for farm employers, says expert
Farmers with non-family employees need to understand their obligations, says lawyer
Reading Time: 4 minutes The farm safety legislation that sparked a political firestorm in 2015 may be gone — but not entirely. “They say Bill 6 has been repealed, but here’s the thing: It wasn’t a clean break,” said Christopher Spasoff of F2 Legal Counsel, who defends those facing occupational health and safety (OHS) charges. “It wasn’t a full […] Read more
Opinion: Pandemic stress and exhaustion are taking a toll on our farms
Everyone is feeling worn down but on farms, that ups the risk of an accident occurring
Reading Time: 3 minutes January is a weird month. It’s an optimistic time, with a new year bringing resolutions and a sincere hope for life to be better and brighter. But it’s also a dark and slow month on the Canadian Prairies — especially in the rural areas, on the often quieter farms so many of us call home. […] Read more
A routine day, a near tragedy that will never be forgotten
Reading Time: 5 minutes Some days just stay with a person. High school graduation, your wedding day, the birth of your child. For Randy Froese, that day is Aug. 17, 2010. “That’s the day I just about did not make it home,” said the grain farmer from Winkler, Man. That morning started like any other. Froese decided it was […] Read more
Federal program to protect farms, workers from COVID-19 underway
'Highest-risk' farming operations to get priority, Bibeau says
Applications are now open for a federally-administered $35 million emergency on-farm support fund to help limit the impacts of COVID-19 on farms and on-farm workers. Aimed at farm workplaces and employee living quarters, the fund is being managed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), but cost-shared with participating producers at a 50-50 level. Money is […] Read more
Keep it relaxed — practise low-stress cattle handling to stay safe
You might think you know the risks, but complacency is your enemy during this busy season
Reading Time: 2 minutes As we head into another busy time of year for cattle producers and handlers, it’s good to stop and think about all the increased risks we face over the next couple of months. Fall is a dangerous time because there is a lot more movement, as ranchers are bringing in cows and calves that haven’t […] Read more
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