Farm safety is improving but many risks still mean many injuries and fatalities.

Agriculture Safety Week a reminder of risks

Manitoba farmers are still practising one of the province’s most dangerous professions

With Canadian Agriculture Safety Week beginning on March 10, Manitoba farmers have got a tragic reminder of what’s at stake. Renee Simcoe, communications co-ordinator for the Manitoba Farm Safety Program, said in an interview March 1 the farm safety issue never loses relevance to the people working on farms across the province. “In this last

Morag Margerison, a farm safety consultant, hopes five years of guaranteed funding will mean many farm visits in the future.

Government fixes farm safety funding

The Manitoba Farm Safety Program: It’s free, confidential and funded for at least another five years

In the midst of a farm safety seminar kicking off the annual meeting of the Keystone Agricultural Producers, some good news arrived. In a joint announcement the federal and provincial agriculture ministers revealed a $1.1-million funding program over five years to support farm safety programming in the province. The program is designed to develop safety


Editorial: Staying safe on the farm

Agriculture regularly tops surveys and studies of dangerous professions. Despite the process of going high tech, every season there’s still a heaping helping of manual labour, heavy equipment, confined spaces and moving parts. Add the exhaustion of long hours and mental stress and it can be a recipe for disaster. This all added up to

Farmers get a better idea of their personal protective equipment options during a Manitoba Farm Safety Program workshop in Brandon Nov. 26.

Gearing up on the farm: the right equipment makes you safer

Make sure your personal protective gear is in place, fits properly and works

How would your farm fare if a workplace safety inspector suddenly showed up? If you have a sneaking suspicion you might flunk that test, you’re not alone, according to the Manitoba Farm Safety Program. Morag Marjerison, farm safety consultant with the program, says she expects farms will see more safety inspectors in the future, something

High rates of child death and injury persist: Why farm children are put at risk

High rates of child death and injury persist: Why farm children are put at risk

Parents interviewed say there’s benefits 
to including children in tasks on the farm

Much work has been done around child safety on the farm, and the high incidence of injuries and deaths among Canadian farm children is well documented. But there hasn’t been much effort put into understanding why parents allow children into dangerous situations. A new study sheds some light on the reasons, and may help prevent


Farm safety consultant Morag Marjerison says owners of larger farms tend to know how safety and health legislation apply. She especially hopes owners of smaller operations will attend her sessions.

What to expect if the safety inspector visits your farm

The Manitoba Farm Safety Association is hosting no-cost sessions to help farmers understand Workplace Safety and Health legislation

What’s a sure sign you don’t know that Workplace Safety and Health legislation applies to your farm? Telling the safety officer who’s just arrived to conduct an inspection to leave — maybe with words your mother wouldn’t like. Workplace Safety and Health laws to ensure safe job sites have applied to all farms in Manitoba

Craig Evans, Granny’s Poultry CEO speaks to company staff at Blumenort last week during North American Occupational 
Safety and Health Week. The company hosted a SAFEWork on Wheels demonstration event at its southern Manitoba 
processing plant.

Stellar safety record at Granny’s Poultry brings WCB premiums way down

Their company has put major effort into educating their entire team on why safe workplace practices are so important, says company CEO

Granny’s Poultry is proving dedication to a safer workplace can really pay off. Ten years ago the poultry processor’s Workers Compensation Board (WCB) experience rating was $7 per every $100 of payroll — WCB sets rates based on the employer’s track record. A major effort put towards reducing on-the-job injuries has now brought its premium

Injured on the farm? Farm Safety Program wants to know

Manitoba Farm Safety Program wants to hear about incidents so it can post preventive bulletins

The Manitoba Farm Safety Program (FSP) wants farmers to tell it about the injury-causing incidents and near misses that occur on their farms. That information could help others avoid the same mishaps by helping its program do more preventive programming, said FSP program director Keith Castonguay. The FSP launched in 2017 through Keystone Agricultural Producers


Set an example for the younger generation during Ag Safety Week

Set an example for the younger generation during Ag Safety Week

Canada’s agricultural population is now made up of more farmers over age 70 than under 35

With an average age of 53.8 years, Manitoba has the second-youngest population of farm operators in Canada. That means this month’s Canadian Agricultural Safety Week is a way to set an example for the next generation, says Manitoba’s minister of agriculture. “Everyone in our farming community, and especially our young farmers, has the opportunity to

Once-common activities like climbing a ladder can become more risky due to the natural effects of aging.

Taking steps to prevent slips, trips, and falls

You can change the environment or change your behaviours to stay safe

In theory the prevention of falls is simple. Nearly all falls result from conditions or practices whose hazard is obvious or readily discoverable. In practice, however, prevention is difficult because the detail involved is very great and it is necessary to improve the performance of practically everyone. – From “Safety Subjects,” U.S. Division of Labor