Alberta’s FarmSafe program has launched a second pilot project to help further refine and improve its safety management resource for farmers.
Laurel Aitken, FarmSafe’s plan co-ordinator, said the first pilot program took place in 2013-14 with nine participants. Feedback from this group helped revise the plan, which was developed in conjunction with the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association.
Feedback from the current larger pilot project, which includes 30 farmers, will allow for more revision for the voluntary program.
Farmers who attend the free two-day workshops in January and February will study eight topics that they can apply to their individualized farm safety plan: management, leadership and organization, hazard identification and assessment, hazard control, ongoing inspections, training and qualifications.
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Emergency response, incident investigation and recording and tracking incidents on the farm are also key elements.
“If it’s not written down, it didn’t happen,” she said.
The plan has been developed to comply with the Alberta Government Certificate of Recognition, which shows that a business has an effective health and safety management system in place with the added benefit of discounts on Workers Compensation Board premiums.
Another pilot project is planned during the next year, with funding from the federal government’s Growing Forward 2 program.
karen.morrison@producer.com
