What do you do if a farmhand calls in sick? This is when having a well-trained workforce can go a long way to reducing confusion.

What’s your emergency plan?

It’s more than COVID-19. Here’s why having an emergency plan ready for action is more important — and more achievable — than ever

Reading Time: 10 minutes You can look at it as one of the good sides of COVID-19. It’s reminding all of us that emergencies do happen, they can come when you least expect them, and they can upset practically every part of your operation. Even before COVID-19, it was easy to find experts eager to tell us why we […] Read more

Commonly used surfaces, such as truck door handles, should be cleaned more often. (Kali9/E+/Getty Images)

Take extra steps to keep farm workers safe during COVID-19

Add biosecurity practices, or ramp up the ones you already employ

Reading Time: 3 minutes Farmers concerned about the spread of COVID-19 can learn from the hog sector on the matter of protecting themselves and their workers, says a leading expert on biosecurity in the pork industry. “This is the world of biosecurity that the swine industry deals with on a daily basis,” said Dr. Egan Brockhoff, veterinarian counsellor for […] Read more


Five need-to-know facts about occupational health and safety laws

Five need-to-know facts about occupational health and safety laws

Make sure you now what to expect from the legislation in your province

If you have employees, your farm falls under the provincial occupational health and safety legislation for your province. Each province has slightly different rules, but this is the law and if you are not in compliance you can be fined. You could even be sued, though that would come from the individual employee rather than[...]
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A rally of 200 people at the legislature on Nov. 27 voicing their displeasure with Bill 6. A second demonstration three days later drew 1,000 people, prompting the NDP government to amend the bill.

The national cost of Alberta’s Bill 6

Farm outrage at the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act may have already backfired

Reading Time: 5 minutes As 2015 came to a close, Canadians watched Alberta farmers hold massive rallies against legislation intended to improve farm safety. They listened to farmers raging against the costs Bill 6 would impose on their operations, with farmers saying the legislation will destroy family farms. They heard farmers complain they hadn’t been consulted in the drafting[...]
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4-H Canada CEO Shannon Benner announces $600,000 in funding for scholarship and farm safety programs, in partnership with CN. (Lisa Guenther photo)

Railway funds to deliver safety, leadership programs

Reading Time: 2 minutes 4-H Canada is set to launch a new youth leadership program, along with a farm safety fund, thanks to a $600,000 contribution from Canadian National Railway (CN). Executives at 4-H and CN unveiled the 4-H Canada Leadership Excellence Awards of Distinction (LEAD) at Canadian Western Agribition on Wednesday morning. Each year LEAD will award four[...]
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Jocelyne Handfield Rheaume, who lost her husband to a work-related farm injury, is featured on a video prepared for Quebec’s Farm Health and Safety Week. (SiOnSavait.ca)

Ag Safety Week urges farmers to “be the difference”

Reading Time: 2 minutes Acting to improve a farm’s safety systems before a problem appears is the focus of this year’s Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, beginning Sunday. The week, running March to 21 in a co-promotion between the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) and the Federation of Agriculture (CFA) with sponsorship from Farm Credit Canada, is themed “Be the Difference.”[...]
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