Saskatchewan experienced its latest farming fatality Sept. 5 after a swather rolled back on a 70-year-old man while he cut crops near Krydor, according to the RCMP.
“We do have an injury epidemic in this province,” said Gord Moker, chief executive officer of Safe Saskatchewan.
“I would venture to say we’re leading the country.”
Moker didn’t think the injury statistics would be different in Alberta and Manitoba.
“It’s time to plant seeds in everybody’s mind that injuries are predictable and preventable,” he said.
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“In farming and ranching alone there are 18 fatal injuries each year. (in Saskatchewan) One of the leading causes is runovers and rollovers.”
He said researchers have identified four states of mind that can be dangerous for farmers: fatigue, frustration, rushing and complacency.
“I think complacency is the greatest. The one suggestion is if people could be aware when they are in one or more of these states, step back and reassess. They could prevent an injury to themselves or others.”
Louise Hagel of the University of Saskatchewan’s Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture said one-third of farm related deaths occur during harvest, mainly in September.
“Most of these occurred to the owner-operator as compared to hired workers, spouses or children, however some of these fatalities are children.”
Hagel said in most of the cases, the people died at the scene.
“Too often when injuries occur we tend to blame the victim, when in fact when an injury event occurs, many factors have come together that allow the event to occur. The best way to prevent injuries is to identify hazardous conditions and practices in the workplace.”
