This is National Farm Safety Week and the Canada Safety Council is reminding Canadian farmers to take necessary measures to keep workers safe.
A 2020 study conducted by Farm Credit Canada for the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association speaks to a “disconnect.”
The survey, of 1,200 farmers across Canada found that seven in 10 producers had either been injured or nearly injured on the job. And nearly a quarter of respondents said they’d experienced this within the past year.
Yet only one in 10 surveyed farmers reported having a written safety plan, with an additional two-thirds admitting to not seeking out any safety information in the last year.
“While productivity is important, it can be hampered without the proper training of workers and the implementation of best safety practices,” said Gareth Jones, President and CEO of the Canada Safety Council.
Injuries can lead to inefficiencies that rob productivity, he added. “Applying the best safety practices and providing proper worker training not only helps keep workers safe, it’s just smart business.”
Injuries on the farm are preventable. Having a safety plan — even one as simple as detailing the various hazards that exist on the farm and ways to avoid injury — can go a long way toward keeping the workforce productive and maximizing the farm’s output in the long term, states the council.
The most valuable asset to a farm is its workforce, it must be protected, added a release by the council.