March 10-16, 2013, is Canadian Agricultural Safety Week to raise awareness about the importance of safety matters in farm workplaces.  With the summer employment season just around the corner, the Workers Compensation Board (WCB) reminds all growers that there is no better time to develop a plan for farm safety.  

“Safety planning is a proactive approach to protecting farm workers and farm businesses, and an important component of any plan is safety training,” said Nancy Guptill, Workers Compensation Board Chair.

Many farm employers will have workers who are new to the job this season, whose lack of familiarity with the workplace may increase their risk of workplace injury.  An effective farm safety training plan can help to reduce this risk. 

When developing training for farm workers, the WCB advises employers to:

• Bring every hazard to the workers’ attention.
• Use past incidents or “close calls” as learning opportunities.
• Identify any tasks, equipment, or areas of the operation that are off-limits to the worker or only authorized/trained workers are allowed to do and review the associated safe work practices.
• Discuss the safeguards in place to eliminate or minimize hazards.
• Ensure that all workers know what personal protective equipment (PPE) to use and how to use it.
• Have the worker perform tasks under the supervision of a trained, responsible person prior to attempting the work alone.
• Keep written records of the training workers receive.

The Farm Safety Code of Practice, which is available in the Safe Workplaces section of the WCB website, provides additional information about farm safety.  For assistance with safety plans and other farm safety matters, contact WCB Farm Safety Specialist, Tara Huestis, at 902-368-6562 or 1-800-237-5049.

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