The Alberta government is ex-pected to announce new rules to protect farm workers.
It is not known when an an-nouncement could come or how much feedback the government expects from the agriculture sector.
“They recognize Alberta provides the least protection for workers on farms and ranches of any jurisdiction in Canada, but at the same time they say we need to strike the right balance between the unique nature of farms and ranches with worker protection,” said Ross Nairne of the province’s jobs, skills, training and labour ministry.
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The issue is not new.
In 2009, provincial court judge Peter Barley recommended the province include paid farm workers under the farm safety act while exempting family members and other non-paid workers. This followed an inquiry after farm worker Kevan Chandler died in an accident on a southern Alberta feedlot after suffocating in a silo.
Marketing boards, commissions and the intensive livestock working group have agreed on the need for mandatory reporting of serious farm incidents and fatalities, he said at barley, pulse and wheat commission zone meeting held in Olds Nov. 3.
Elected officials have said since the election in May that farm workers have the right to organize, rest and receive minimum wage, safety protection and mandatory workers compensation coverage.
Most farms groups accept change is coming but want to know the details.
“It always worries me as a farmer. How much is the government going to get involved in my life?” said Doug Robertson of Carstairs.
He wants to know the costs and how much scrutiny may be in-volved or what records are re-quired. Each province has different rules and standards.
“It depends on the will of the government,” he said.
Occupational health and safety regulations set out minimum standards and Alberta has previously taken a pragmatic approach.
“You are probably following the basics of health and safety now,” said Nairne.
For example, certification is required for pesticide applicators. It may be for environmental reasons but it also provides protection to the applicator.
“There is a lot of flexibility within Alberta’s health and safety system to doing the appropriate thing for your farm,” he said.
Occupational health and safety legislation exempts workers who would normally be covered once they enter a farm or ranch worksite. This includes other workers such as construction crews entering the site.
There is no requirement for mandatory workers compensation coverage, although employers may obtain coverage voluntarily.
Nairne said 3.3 percent of the agriculture sector has taken coverage.
In 2014, the office of the chief medical officer investigated 25 farming deaths. Nearly all were men with an average age of 59.
Twelve of the deaths were men older than 65 while two were younger than 18.
Among the 25 deaths, 15 were owner operators, five were employees, three were visitors and the others were not involved in farm work. Most of the deaths involved farm machinery.
A recent survey of workers on hog farms found most know the hazards, said Nicole Hornett, farm safety co-ordinator with Alberta Agriculture who presented the results at Alberta Pork’s annual meeting Nov. 5.
They rated their on-the-job safety training as 6.9 on a scale of zero to 10.
The respondents rated being hurt by equipment as well as slipping and falling as the greatest physical threat.
The greatest biological hazard was the effects of breathing in dusty, mouldy air.
The greatest chemical hazard was opening a manure pit.
The greatest psychosocial hazards was the stress of working alone or long hours because of staff shortages.
Heavy lifting as well as standing on concrete were rated highly as ergonomic hazards.
Additional farm safety information is available at www.agriculture.alberta.ca/FarmSafety and www.casa.acsa.ca
