Plan • Farm • Safety is the theme of the three-year Canadian Agricultural Safety campaign.
Last year, the campaign promoted Plan, with safety walkabouts and an emphasis on planning for safety. For 2011, the focus will be on Farm, with highlights on implementation, documentation and training. This campaign will launch during Canadian Agricultural Safety Week (CASW), March 13 to 19, 2011. Next year’s campaign will emphasize Safety, including the assessment, improvement and further development of safety systems.
It’s not enough to simply plan to be safe. All safety plans need to be put into action and continually monitored. If changes are deemed appropriate to make the safety system more effective, they should be implemented.
Safety plans should include checklists, and these checks should be performed on a regular basis. Lists should include checking such things as machinery maintenance, operation procedures, hazard assessments, steps taken in performing high-risk tasks. In addition to checklists, asking some key questions can ensure the proposed safety system is effectively on task.
• Have emergency numbers been updated and posted in prominent locations? For some workers, these numbers can be entered into mobile phones for quick access. If this is the case, be sure the mobile phone is always nearby. Ensure communication methods are revisited often with all team members involved on the farm.
• Is there someone on the team with updated first aid training? Ensure that any team member identified as being trained in first aid has adequate and up-to-date training.
• Is the work area being maintained in a neat and orderly fashion? Many times an initial cleaning is done with good intentions, but busy schedules and tight timelines leave the area cluttered again.
• Have all high-risk jobs been identified and outlined to minimize the risks? Have unnecessary steps been eliminated or replaced with a safer option? Has the area been engineered for safety? Has the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) been provided and is it always used?
• Have all farm equipment and structures been maintained and are they in good working condition? Machinery and implements need regular inspections and maintenance to work safely and efficiently.
• Corrals and livestock handling equipment need regular maintenance and upgrades as well to ensure proper working condition.
• Have all farm workers had adequate training for the jobs they perform and the equipment they operate? A new option for safety training of farm employees and family members is the newly developed Safe Think Agriculture. This training focuses on helping farm workers to use a critical thinking strategy to assess the hazards of farming. The strategy can be applied as a person moves from task to task during the work day but is also a very useful process to use as you develop or review your safety plan.
Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, with support from the Growing Forward fund, has been able to work with Human Development Consultants Inc. to develop the agriculture version of their Safe Think course and provide training to interested rural facilitators. Farm owners, workers and farm families will be able to access this training this spring. Watch for course listings on the web at www.agriculture.alberta.ca/farmsafety.