Get with the plan during agricultural safety week
March 12, 2013
Canadian Agricultural Safety Week runs March 10-16, 2013. It is a national farm safety public education campaign focusing on the importance of farm safety practices.
The national theme is “Get with the Plan!” It follows up CASA’s three-year theme: “Plan | Farm | Safety” which encouraged agricultural producers to research and develop written farm safety plans for their operation.
I talked with Nicole Hornett, farm safety coordinator (South Region) with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.
“Here in Alberta, we’re continuing our ‘I Have a Role’ campaign to highlight communication this year. Everyone has a role in successful safety communication on the farm,” Nicole said via email, quoting this CASA stat from 2012. “For example, fatigue is a major factor on farms. Human error is typically at the root of 85% of farm-related incidences – the majority of those errors stemming from fatigue.”
Good communication forms a solution – including suitable schedules for completing work and encouraging workers to keep each other up to date, track their progress, and let others know if something changes.
“One of the interactive ways the Alberta Farm Safety Program is focusing on the importance of communication is by developing a new machinery blind spot activity for rural youth and new workers,” Nicole said. “Various toy-sized farm equipment props are placed on a farmscape mat, then participants are encouraged to identify where the operator could/couldn’t see them. Once identified, the discussion flows towards the best methods to get an operator’s attention through selecting safe locations to stand, using universal hand-signals as a method to communicate or deciding if they can wait until the operator’s next break.”
Watch for Nicole’s daily updates on Facebook during Farm Safety Week. She’s hoping to get some conversations going – so please add your thoughts.
Here’s an article in OHS Canada on this annual safety event.
Older farm workers at higher risk of machine injuries
January 15, 2013
A farmer in Pefferlaw, Ontario. Photo by Bill Barber on Flickr
Older farm workers are more likely to be injured while using machines than their younger counterparts, says a new Canadian study.
“The study concluded older farmers work fewer hours than their younger counterparts but spend more time operating heavy machinery and equipment,” says this post in the Ponoka News, which I learned about via enews from the Canadian Agricultutral Safety Association.
“Older farmers disproportionally retain tasks involving machinery as they age. The proportion of time spent operating machinery increases 40 per cent in older age groups,” reads the Ponoka News post. “…the machines they’re using are usually the oldest on the farm.”
Dangers of farming
Kenda Lubeck – farm safety coordinator for Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development – told me about the risks of this industry last year during the “I Have A Role” campaign for 2012. She said 18 people die in farm-related incidents each year in Alberta, which is why the new campaign targets emphasizes everyone in the agricultural industy – including parents, farm owners, workers, equipment dealers, and community groups.
“By creating conversation around safety, it may just remind someone to take the time to install ROPS (roll over protective structures) on their tractors or to take that final walk around their equipment before heading out on the job,” Kenda said. “Farm injuries and fatalities are preventable.”
The Alberta Farm Safety Centre reports there were 1,769 agricultural fatalities in Canada from 1990 to 2005. Its website says “agriculture ranks as Canada’s third most hazardous industry” and “in terms of absolute numbers of fatalities, there is no more dangerous occupation.”
Agricultural machines were involved in 70.9% of fatalities.
The “older worker” factor
What happens as we age?
“We don’t see or hear as well,” said WorkSafeBC senior ergonomist Peter Goyert, quoted in this WorkSafe Magazine story. “Our colour perception deteriorates. Our reflexes slow down and we don’t sleep as well. We’re less flexible and our range of motion shrinks. Our bones thin, our balance declines, and we lose muscle and respiratory and cardiovascular function.”
Sigh…
But let’s look on the positive side. I used the term “chronologically gifted” in my post In praise of older workers, quoting NIOSH director John Howard, who spoke on Workers Memorial Day 2011.
“As more and more chronologically gifted workers are on the job, we must be aware of the unique challenges they face, and design our health and safety interventions accordingly,” he said. “No one should face the prospect of injury, illness, exploitation, or death in earning a paycheck.”
Here’s more information on farming safety. Please add any suggestions in the Comments.
Farming safety
Canadian Agriculture Safety Week 2013 – March 10 to 16, 2013
Canada Farm Safe Plan – a national safety and health plan for farmers from the Canadian Agriculture Safety Association
Safety resources on the Farm and Ranch Safety and Health Association website
Recent incidents in agriculture on the WorkSafeBC website
Farmer crushed by irrigation wheel – a hazard alert from WorkSafeBC
TV ads target lockout and substance abuse
December 06, 2012
By now, readers in Northern BC have probably seen two new TV ads about workplace safety from SHARP (Safety Health Awareness Research Program). One of the ads deals with lockout and other depicts the risks posed by working under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The ads will air on stations across the central and northern Interior in Kamloops, Prince George, Terrace, and Dawson Creek until December 21. This is the fifth year SHARP, a partnership of United Steelworkers locals I-424 and I-425 and the Northern Interior Forest Industry, is partnering with WorkSafeBC on this campaign and association social media.
I hope these ads will remind wood manufacturing workers to keep their eyes on the job and to refrain from drugs and alcohol that may affect their performance on the job – especially during the holiday season, when “the night before” can have effects that lead into the next day.
Australia’s Absolute shocker of the week
October 23, 2012
Photo by WorkSafe Victoria, who offers the image freely for re-publication by others who will use it to promote safer work practices in construction, utilities, mining, and quarrying.
I like to see people offering their resources for free to others who share their goals.
“’If you’ve got it, share it, spread it around,’” wrote Aliza Sherman, in The 10 Golden Rules of Social Media, a 2010 blog post cited by many for its description of how we can do good with the tools at hand.
“I’m talking about information, time and knowledge. In social media, sharing is the fuel of the conversation engine.”
Speaking of danger
Have you ever noticed how much people like talking about danger? People who know I write about safety often tell me about dangerous things they see. One recently showed me photos on his phone of some workers doing dangerous landscaping activities. He said they were using the wrong cutting tools for the job, and it looked pretty scary, as he described it.
Talking about danger is a good segue into a discussion on safety. That’s why I like this “visual library of danger” – as I picture it – that WorkSafe Victoria is archiving online. People keep sending in photos – and the winner of this week’s challenge is “another in the series on the misuse of empty plastic drums on construction sites,” reads the Safety Soapbox by WorkSafe Victoria.
“While construction workers have a variety of safe uses for empty drums, using them in this way or as a working platform are not among them.”
The risk of being photographed is one reason to avoid unsafe practices in this day of phone cameras that upload images to the Internet with a few taps of the screen. It’s especially risky when your coworkers might be taking part in a contest to photograph dangerous actions – an unexpected, yet possibly effective, way to encourage safety.
Using empty containers
Here’s another example of unsafe use of an empty container. This hazard alert from WorkSafeBC describes how a worker at a kayak manufacturing company was killed in an explosion caused when his welding torch burned into the surface he was welding on. It was an empty metal container that once contained acetone.
The Pain Game: funny new video tackles serious topic
June 26, 2012
WorkSafe Victoria just launched the first two TV spots in a new campaign to reduce slips, trips, and falls at work – showing the consequence of taking shortcuts. The Pain Game ads are a spoof of the classic game show format, and its creators’ morbid sense of humour made me laugh and cringe at the same time. Definitely worth a watch!
Safety Fool: a heads-up rap video
June 12, 2012
“Straight outta Edmonton” – from the folks at HeadsUpAb.com – this new video reminds young workers (and the rest of us) how to foster a safe workplace and “avoid acting the fool.” Matt and Chris – the Canadian safety rap duo – put a new spin on an old message for young people starting new jobs this summer. Check it out and share it with the kids in your life.
Safe farming: “I Have a Role”
March 13, 2012
It’s Canadian Agriculture Safety Week, March 11 to 17, and activities are taking place across the country.
Here in BC, the launch was held at a Kelowna winery, where reps from the Farm and Ranch Safety and Health Association (FARSHA) and the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) planned to “give updates on innovative farm safety initiatives in BC,” reads the FARSHA website.
I’ll update you on BC activities as I learn more, and in the meantime, I’ll tell you what’s happening in the province next door. I contacted Kenda Lubeck – farm safety coordinator for Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development – to find out more about Alberta’s main message: “Everyone on a farm is responsible for safety.” The Alberta Farm Safety Program‘s I Have A Role” campaign is set for launch during March 11 to 17.
“Our hope is that this campaign will create more discussion around safety at all levels on Alberta farms,” Kenda said. “By calling out roles and responsibilities it brings the focus to the importance of human life rather than getting the job done regardless of the cost.”
Too many preventable deaths
Eighteen people die in farm-related incidents each year in Alberta. That’s why the new campaign emphasizes the important role of everyone in the agricultural industy – including parents, farm owners, workers, equipment dealers, and community groups.
Photo credit: Bill Barber on Flickr
“By creating conversation around safety, it may just remind someone to take the time to install ROPS (roll over protective structures) on their tractors or to take that final walk around their equipment before heading out on the job,” Kenda said. “Farm injuries and fatalities are preventable.”
Plan – Farm – Safety
“Plan • Farm • Safety” is the theme of the three-year Canadian Agricultural Safety campaign which began in 2010.
“The 2010 campaign promoted “Plan”, with safety walkabouts and an emphasis on planning for safety. In 2011, the focus was on “Farm”, with highlights on implementation, documentation and training,” reads the CASA website.
This year’s campaign on “Safety” focuses on the assessment, improvement and further development of safety systems.
Thanks to Kenda for sharing her story – and let me know if you’re taking part in any activities so I can praise your efforts and tell everyone! 
New farm safety video from WorkSafeBC
New website drives worker safety on road
March 08, 2012
RoadSafetyAtWork.ca is a new online toolkit for employers with workers who drive on the job. It uses a five-step approach to safer workplace driving, including tools, tips, guidance, examples, and best practices – launched by WorkSafeBC in partnership with the BCAA Road Safety Foundation.
To find out more, I contacted one of the project collaborators: Brian Best, director of Warehousing & Distribution for London Drugs. He’s been managing on-road employees at London Drugs for the past 22 years and managed driver operations and fleet maintenance at Federal Express and Purolator in the Toronto area for eight years.
Brian Best, Director of Warehousing & Distribution for London Drugs Ltd.
“What I especially like about the website is how you can follow the five key steps to assess your current competencies and then channel your efforts for improved fleet safety progressively, over a period of time,” said Brian, who in 2010 joined the Technical Advisory Committee of the Occupational Road Safety Project.
“You can start with an online ’2-minute safety audit’ and then a ‘Risk Assessment’ to understand how your company currently manages safe practices and culture for workers on the road,” he said. “In performing these self-assessments you can identify areas where your existing practices may be lacking compared to international benchmarks for best worker road safety.”
Brian said the new website is “an agreed-on set of preferred practices that we feel will work for all BC employers” – stemming from what the TAC learned from talking with BC industry and evaluating what’s been adopted in other jurisdictions.
“Because such a variety of organizations participated in the development of the new website, it is targeted to support a wide range of organizations and types of users: large and small, public and private, new to road safety OR with a well-established road safety program.”
Thanks to Brian for sharing his story – and congratulations to the collaborators. Check it out – and let me know what you think.
Vote for student safety videos
March 01, 2012
From WorkSafeBC.com website
The first four entries are posted and I’ve got to say I’m pretty impressed with the creative ways they answer the question: “What motivates you, your friends, or your family to come home safely from work?”
It’s WorkSafeBC’s seventh annual video contest for BC youth in Grades 8 to 12 and from now until April 13, more will be added so you can vote for your favourites.
My 11-yr-old son and I watched the first ones, and both agreed our favourite (so far) is “Because of my cat.” In it, one actor wears costumes of workers in different industries – each of whom had his own quirky reasons for getting home safely. This video makes great use of humour to deliver a serious message and answers the question in its very title.
Using the videos after the contest
Teachers, parents, and employers can use the winning videos long after the contest closes and prizes are awarded. These creative pieces keep on giving: useful in schools, training, and new worker orientation. Entries for past years are available, so have a look.
This delivery – for youth by youth – is seen by many as an effective way to get young people thinking about workplace safety and other important issues. I really enjoyed all the videos, as always, and look forward to more.
Please spread the word if you know any BC students in Grades 8 to 12. Entry deadline: April 13, 2012 at 5 p.m.
Sharing farm safety knowledge
January 17, 2012
Photo courtesy of the MB Labour & Immigration - Workplace Safety & Health Div. (via the CASA website)
Canadian Agriculture Safety Week is March 11 to 17, 2012 – and plans are underway for its launch in BC.
I talked with Diane Wreford of the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association, who told me what planners have in mind for the BC launch. It sounds really cool – and I’m hoping to go – but I won’t tell you til it’s finalized. Past launches have taken place in nurseries, fields, and potato processing plants in different provinces – and now it’s BC’s turn for the spotlight.
“We try to emphasize that whatever you do, safety should be first,” Diane said, describing how CASA and its partners are creating their safety resources based on requests from farmers who responded to an online survey from Farm Credit Canada.
It reports 85 percent of Canadian producers understand the importance of farm safety and 34 percent want training in the basics of preparing a safety plan for their operations. Now that plan is available for download on the CASA website.
“They all say safety is really important, but in fact only one in 10 has a plan,” Diane said. “And we’re saying: ‘Okay, you can’t really be serious unless you’ve committed yourself publicly – unless you’ve got a real plan.”
Sharing resources
Diane said CASA shares lots of agriculture safety resources from BC and Ontario.
“They’re the two provinces that have very well-supported farm safety groups and they have the expertise and financial support to come up with great resources,” said Diane, adding that CASA also shares resources created by funding from the federal government – Agriculture and Agri-food Canada.
New agriculture safety resources will be on the CASA website soon – so check it out – and stay tuned for news on the BC launch.
