WorkSafeNB and the Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick encourage farmers to become farm safety champions

March 12, 2015

With Canadian Agricultural Safety Week (CASW) approaching, WorkSafeNB and the Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick (AANB) have teamed up to remind all New Brunswickers to put safety first when visiting or working on farms.

AANB and WorkSafeNB celebrate Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, March 15–21, by encouraging producers to become farm safety champions and “Be the Difference” in making all farms safe places to work and live.

“The week is an opportune time for farmers to reflect on the risks that everyone who works or lives on a farm face daily. We need to make safety a priority on our farms and be proactive. Everyone living, working and visiting farms needs to be conscious and vigilant throughout the year,” said Mike Bouma, AANB president.

“The impact of a farm injury is both devastating emotionally and financially to producers and their families, and most injuries can be prevented by controlling hazards on the farm,” Bouma added.

WorkSafeNB recommends that farm operators regularly review operations, ensuring that proper training and safe working procedures are in place.

“Recent changes to the Hazardous Products Act mean that information on supplier labels, workplace labels and safety data sheets will change,” said Gerard Adams, president and CEO of WorkSafeNB. “It’s critical that farm operators are familiar with these changes to ensure the safety of everyone working with or in proximity to chemicals, such as pesticides.”

Safety tips: 

• Ensure workers are properly trained to do their work safely and are equipped with the proper personal protective equipment. Training is especially important for new workers. Additional supervision is required. 
• Keep moving machinery parts, such as PTO shafts and conveyor chains, guarded to prevent workers from coming into contact with these parts. In addition, always ensure equipment is completely de-energized before conducting maintenance. If visiting a farm, avoid all machinery.
• Have an emergency plan ready for any incident. Ensure all workers, temporary or permanent, are familiar with the plan. 
• Ensure emergency contact numbers, first-aid kits, waste and spill clean-up kits and up-to-date WHMIS safety data sheets are easily accessible.
• Ensure hazardous substances are properly stored and labelled. Familiarize yourself with the new hazard symbols.
• Ensure warning signs are posted where necessary.

For more information on farm safety, visit fermenbfarm.ca, casa-acsa.ca and worksafenb.ca.

The Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick (AANB) is the voice of this province’s farmers. In 2006, the Agriculture Producers’ Association and the Federation des agriculteurs et agricultrices francophones du Nouveau Brunswick merged to form the AANB, a grassroots, bilingual organization of farmers working for farmers.

WorkSafeNB is a Crown corporation that oversees the implementation and application of New Brunswick’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, Workers’ Compensation Act, Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission Act, and the Firefighters’ Compensation Act. Its vision is healthy and safe workplaces in New Brunswick.

Resources:

Farm Safety Guide

Guidelines for Potato Growing Safety

Potato Harvesting Safety Orientation Checklist

Developing a Code of Practice for Manual Handling

Ergonomics Guidelines for Manual Handling

Transition to WHMIS 2015

Farm Accident Kills Worker