An accident involving a 14-year-old boy last week stirred the debate about more government regulation to improve farm safety.
The accident at a Manitoba potato farm occurred just two weeks before a task force is expected to gather public views on farm safety at a meeting in Brandon.
The boy was badly injured in the mishap.
Peter Walker, health and safety representative for the Manitoba Federation of Labour, said that while it’s important to research which farm accidents are most common, a study should also examine why accidents may be more common on some farms.
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The meeting at Brandon is one of several planned this fall to talk about workplace injury prevention.
The meetings are organized by Manitoba Labour’s workplace safety and health department.
The accident last week happened at a farm near Plum Coulee.
Police say the 14-year-old boy fell onto a potato conveyor belt on the night of Oct. 9 and suffered extensive spinal cord injuries.
It appeared that the boy, after falling on the conveyor, became trapped between the belt and the motor.
He was taken to Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg. He remained in serious condition as of Oct. 15.
Police and Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health are investigating.
Don Dewar, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers, said the Manitoba government seems keen to reduce work-related accidents and is looking at agriculture as a place improvements can be made.
The farm leader suggested education would likely be more effective than bringing in more government regulations.
“We have kids working on farms all the time. That’s part of what a family farm is. I don’t know what kind of regulations they could put in.”
Diane Mauthe farms with her husband near Waldersee, Man., and is a chapter representative for Farm Safety 4 Just Kids.
Mauthe also leans toward education and awareness as a way to make farms safer.
“Farm children and farmers are very receptive to education,” she said. “It’s a much easier and much more practical way of getting the message out there and trying to help the farmers.”
Mauthe said farmers can use the North American guidelines, which were developed by professionals in accident prevention. They offer farm parents guidance when deciding what age their children are capable of certain farm tasks.
