Canadian Agriculture Safety Week (CASW) is happening throughout the week.
It began on Sunday, March 12, and will conclude on Saturday, March 18.
Various organizations are encouraging farm owners and managers to initiate talks about safety with everyone on the farm.
Donna Trottier (Photo/Alberta Farmer Express)
Donna Trottier is the Farm & Ranch Safety Extension Coordinator for AgSafe Alberta, which is currently administered by the Alberta Wheat Commission.
“We’re trying to provide some tools and resources for farmers across Alberta,” Trottier told the AM 610 Newsroom. “It’ll help them to implement some safety measures and safety programs on their farms.”
Trottier says while accidents do still happen on the farm, she says that overall, farmers are working to improve their safety record.
“Technology has also helped advance improvements and safety on the farm over the years,” she added.
AgSafe Alberta is currently working on a Quick-Start Guide that farmers can use to make a start on farm safe planning.
“We’re also developing a risk assessment that will help identify and evaluate risk on the farm,” said Trottier. “It’ll also determine control measures which can be put in place to control and reduce the risk for people working on the farm.”
She says there are workshops going on across the province at various times throughout the year.
“So there are opportunities throughout the year for training and extension of educational resources,” she added.
Be an AgSafe Family – Appealing to Adults
The theme for CASW 2017 is Be an AgSafe Family – Appealing to Adults.
Kenda Lubeck is the Farm Safety Awareness Coordinator at the Alberta Agriculture & Forestry (AF) Office in Grande Prairie.
Kenda Lubeck (Photo/CASA – YouTube)
She told the AM 610 Newsroom that the theme is part of a three-year program that started during last year’s CASW, which discussed child safety. Next year, the focus will be on seniors.
“This is a national campaign,” said Lubeck. “We team up with the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association, as well as various other organizations, including the Farm Safety Centre in Southern Alberta.
“We all talk to each other and help to share the same messaging,” she added. “Because we all understand that Farm Safety is very important, and that we should all be talking about the same thing.”
Lubeck says there are also some specific hazards that they see year-after-year come to the forefront.
“A big percentage of injuries and fatalities from farm accidents come from machinery,” said Lubeck. “So machinery and equipment safety is a big part of what we like to talk about. But we also look at livestock safety and chemical safety, and a variety of other issues. But in the end, it’s important that all those organizations involved are on the same page.”
The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association has taken a campaign that AF ran a few years ago with a farm-safety ribbon.
“What happens is that they give out the ribbon, and we’re encouraging people to wear them,” Lubeck continued. “Because it’s a symbol of their role in Farm Safety, because everyone has a role from the adults, children, as well as the Ag Product dealers.”
To order a ribbon, just click on the link at www.agsafetyweek.ca, and just click on the ribbon campaign tab.
– Posted by BET
