Keeping safe around anhydrous tanks

Keeping safe around anhydrous tanks

Anhydrous ammonia tanks require robust testing, and an incident out of the U.S. shows why

Brian Downie, who handles the regulatory side of Shur-Gro’s anhydrous ammonia operations, says he feels comfortable standing next to any nurse tank currently in service in Canada. The ag industry weeded out problem tanks when more robust testing was implemented about a decade ago, he said. Today, he’s confident in the required regimen. “They’re tested


Farmer at Dawn

Editorial: The yearly farm safety reality check

Farming is a dangerous job. It’s a sentence most of us have heard so often that it doesn’t resonate the way it probably should. The sector involves a lot of heavy equipment, powerful livestock and in many cases a farmer working alone, far from help and in areas with patchy cell service if something goes

Given their large size, trains often appear to be farther away and travelling much slower than they actually are. Don’t be fooled. It takes the equivalent length of 18 football fields for the average freight train to come to a stop.

Farm safety includes being rail safe

In a contest between big farm equipment and a train, the train still wins

With nearly 45,000 kilometres of active railway tracks and roughly 40,000 railway crossings from coast to coast, many Canadians encounter trains daily. That’s especially true in rural areas, where many farms are located near railway tracks. In 2022, Canada’s incidents between trains and vehicles or people totalled 232. Of those, 66 people died and 43

VIDEO: Sprayer loading invention wins farm safety award

VIDEO: Sprayer loading invention wins farm safety award

At Manitoba Ag Days earlier this year, Setter Manufacturing took first prize in the Farm Safety category for its Sprayer Companion invention. “The Spray Companion is probably the safest loading device in the industry for loading on high-clearance sprayers or any sprayers that you might have on the farm,” says Greg Setter, president of Setter


FarmSafe program slated for $1.5 million

FarmSafe program slated for $1.5 million

Federal and provincial funds to bolster KAP-led program

A Manitoba program that provides safety resources and advice to farmers has received more than $1.5 million in government funding, the provincial and federal governments announced Jan. 24. “FarmSafe Manitoba is an invaluable resource that gives producers the ability to use their knowledge and experience to foster a safety culture that promotes physical and mental

“[The bystander category] is the one that really identifies we’re not doing a very good job when it comes to children.”

Are your kids safe on the farm?

Sobering data offered by farm safety advocates show young children and seniors still figure heavily in ag deaths

Glacier FarmMedia – There’s good and bad news on Canada’s farm injury front. Deaths on farms or related to farming practices dropped an average of 1.4 per cent annually from 2011 to 2020, according to data from the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association. However, there were 624 agriculture-related deaths in that period, an average of 62 per year. Of those

“I’m sure you can think of bullying as an example of an intentional act, and it’s the employer’s obligation to prevent that from happening.” – Wendy Bennet, AgSafe BC.

Psychological health and safety on the farm

Onus may soon be on owners and operators, says expert

Farm owners and operators should pay attention to the latest news in psychological health and safety, because one day they may be responsible for it when it comes to their employees. That’s according to one presenter at the recent Canadian Agricultural Safety Association digital conference. “Here in British Columbia, they are beginning to write the


Fire claims a combine in Saskatchewan during harvest in 2017.

Tinder-dry harvest elevates fire risk

Dry conditions and hot weather could elevate the chance of a costly combine fire

Field conditions and an early harvest have elevated the risk of combine fires. “Certainly the risk is great this year because of the dry conditions,” said Keystone Agricultural Producers farm safety consultant Morag Marjerison. “Across Canada, there have already been some combine fires this year. So it’s definitely something that they should be considering.” Why

Have a plan before you climb that ladder and enter a bin.

Grain bin safety starts with a plan

A few key points can improve safety when you have to enter a bin

Every year, several Canadian farmers and workers suffocate in grain bins. These deaths are preventable. People can become caught or trapped in grain bins in three different ways: Moving or flowing grain is involved in all three. When working with grain – loading it, unloading it and moving it from bin to bin – farmers