SASKATOON – Saskatchewan’s top agricultural civil servant says farm health and safety means a lot more than preventing injuries or deaths.
The issue should also mean safe food and better care of the environment, said Hartley Furtan.
“The focus used to be plowing up the land and increasing production,” he told the Saskatchewan Alliance for Agricultural Health and Safety conference.
But with shrinking budgets, the government must ask what level of risk is acceptable and how much money should be spent on reducing it, he said.
Read Also
Powdery mildew can be combine fire risk
Dust from powdery mildew can cause fires in combines.
Dan Hays, chair of the Senate agriculture committee, said society is not gaining if more money is spent sewing fingers back on than in preventing farm accidents.
It’s important “government be pushed on this issue.”
His committee is partway through a study into farm health and safety. The first report was on stress; the next two will be on farm machinery and diseases.
A farmer in the crowd told Hays his community recently buried a farmer who had become entangled in his equipment even though he was noted for being careful. He blamed the poor farm economy, which means newer, safer equipment can’t be bought.
Medical treatment an issue
Another problem with farm safety is medical care after an accident. The province’s health reform means hospitals are closing and emergency responses are farther away.
Dr. Garry Bell of the health department admitted there are some hiccups to go through as rural health changes.
“This is not a process that will end at 12 o’clock on Thursday. It’s continually evolving,” said Bell.
But the alliance would like answers to two immediate problems – getting 911 service across the province and keeping doctors in rural areas.
Dennis Barnett, of the Saskatchewan Rural Health Coalition, said it was “total nonsense” for SaskTel to say the problem in getting a province-wide 911 system is how to charge for the service.
Bell said the department is talking to the telephone utility and “something should come out soon.”
Dr. Michael Smith, who has been a general practitioner in Lucky Lake, Sask. since 1979, said young doctors must be shown the benefits of rural life.
He joked the best way to get a doctor to stay was have him marry a local woman. More seriously, he urged that rural doctors’ incomes be improved and rural clinics have groups of doctors who can offer each other weekend and holiday relief.
Red Williams, of the University of Saskatchewan’s agriculture college, said society should use research and development to counteract the problems caused by a high-technology farm industry.
Verna Thompson, retiring as chair of the one-year-old alliance for agricultural health and safety, said the group will do a membership drive, which should help finances. It will also be starting a newsletter. The alliance plans to spend $29,900 for activities in 1994-95.
