Reading Time: 5 minutes A safer farm begins with three questions, says a longtime farm safety consultant in B.C. What’s the problem? What have you done about it? How can you prove it? “We’re pretty good at ‘a’ and ‘b’ – we recognize the problem and we try to fix it, although sometimes we take shortcuts or monkey-fix it,” […] Read more
‘Realistic, simple and doable’ is key to farm safety plan
Alberta AgSafe modelled on B.C. program that makes listening the cornerstone of its approach
The devil is in the wording when it comes to farm safety regulations
Farmer input needed before new OHS rules are enforced, says AgSafe Society chair
Reading Time: 3 minutes Progress has been made in getting the provincial government to adopt sensible, practical workplace safety rules for farms, but there’s still work to do, says the chair of the AgSafe Society of Alberta. “There’s some language in the technical wording of the legislation that can be hard to explain and figure out how they practically […] Read more
Buckle up — workplace safety rules may be in for a rough ride
Mandatory seatbelt use is among several ‘pretty big’ regulations that don’t make sense, says the AgCoalition
Reading Time: 5 minutes Over the objections of its farmer members, a committee has recommended the province make seatbelt use mandatory in tractors, combines, and other farm equipment. Forcing farmers to buckle up is just one — although likely the most controversial — of 142 recommendations from four “technical working groups” established to turn Bill 6 into actual occupational […] Read more
New First Aid and Safety on the Farm program launched
Reading Time: < 1 minute St. John Ambulance and Ag for Life have launched a joint training initiative to help families who live and work on farms prepare and respond to emergencies. Each year in Alberta, there are over 18 agricultural-related deaths and hundreds of injuries. Machinery, rollovers, and animal-related events are the predominant causes. Quick use of first aid […] Read more
Find ‘your own reasons’ to make your farm safer, says expert
Finding time is often the biggest hurdle, but farm safety expert Donna Trottier says the key is to start small and build on that
Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s been one year since Alberta’s controversial farm and ranch safety legislation came into effect, and the jury is still out as to whether the act is actually making farms across the province safer. But preventing agriculture-related injuries is “pretty complex,” and legislation alone can’t bear that load without some support from training and education, […] Read more
Hutterite colony creates first-of-its-kind farm safety program
The Viking Colony is partnering with a safety expert to create a program geared to Hutterite colonies and their diverse enterprises
Reading Time: 3 minutes Paul Wipf has a passion for safety and has always wanted to raise awareness about farm safety on his colony. That prompted the farm manager of Viking Colony to partner with a workplace health and safety consultant to develop a first-of-its-kind safety program specifically for Hutterite colonies. “This has been in my heart and mind […] Read more
Bill 6 jump-starts important conversations about farm safety
The FarmSafe program offers a step-by-step guide to create a safety plan tailored to your farm
Reading Time: 3 minutes For “safety geek” Dan Trottier, Bill 6 was the shot in the arm that the agriculture industry needed to start the conversation about farm safety. “Bill 6 raised awareness about safety, and now that we’ve got some awareness, we have the opportunity for extension on how to do safety on the farm,” said Trottier, owner […] Read more
Sow the seeds of farm workplace safety this winter
Here’s a list of recommended courses for reducing the risk on your farm
Reading Time: 2 minutes Winter is a good time to make your farm safer. “It’s the time of year when some farmers take a step back from their hectic physical farm work and make assessments for the future,” said Kenda Lubeck, a provincial farm safety co-ordinator. Here are some courses you might consider taking: First aid: This is a […] Read more
Tools for making your farm a safer place
There are many free resources, including fact sheets, videos, training programs, and materials designed especially for children
Reading Time: 2 minutes There are a host of educational materials on safety available for farm families. The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association was created in 1993 to promote farm safety and its vision is “a country where no one is hurt farming.” Its website has dozens of fact sheets that are broken down by topics. Among the 17 topics […] Read more
Fatigue during spring seeding is dangerous, work safe
Know the warning signs and set sensible limits
Reading Time: < 1 minute Seeding and the spring work frenzy puts you at greater risk of serious injury due to fatigue. “Too many farmers push themselves, especially during the really busy times,” said Kenda Lubeck, farm safety co-ordinator with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “Too often, it is a case of wanting to finish a field even though fatigue […] Read more
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