March 13-19, 2022, is the first Canadian Agricultural Safety Week (CASW) under the banner “Your Farm, Your Family, Your Success.” Organizers are calling all farmers, ranchers, farm families, farm workers and farming communities to implement farm safety plans, talk about farm safety and value #FarmSafetyEveryday.
Canadian Agricultural Safety Week is an annual public campaign committed to raising awareness about the importance of farm safety. In 2022, organizers are focusing on not just practical safety advice and awareness but also the reasons why safety is essential for all farming operations.
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Tractors and other farm equipment travel significantly slower than typical traffic, meaning a motor vehicle driving at the speed limit can close the distance on farm machinery much faster than anticipated.
“Farm safety is not just about knowing what hazards exist,” says Andrea Lear, CASA’s chief executive officer. “Farm safety is also about changing unsafe behaviours and habits, understanding the positive business case for incorporating safety on farming operations and addressing what it truly means to value safety and health. This year, CASA is excited to host conversations about making meaningful and long-lasting change for the health and safety of everyone who lives, works and visits farms and ranches.”
Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is the presenting sponsor of CASW and a valuable farm safety champion. FCC supports many farm safety programs, including Back to Ag, a program that assists with the cost of adaptive technology for farmers who have experienced a traumatic injury, and CASA’s BeGrainSafe program.
“Farms present a variety of workplace hazards, so incorporating solid safety practices each and every day is paramount for reducing risk to farm family members and employees,” says Michael Hoffort, FCC president and CEO. “CASW is an important reminder each year for everyone to take care and be safe on the farm.”
For more than a decade, CASA has been raising awareness about the importance of safety on Canadian farms through CASW, which takes place every year during the third week of March. CASW is presented by Farm Credit Canada. In 2022, CASW sponsors include longtime corporate sponsor Farm Credit Canada, as well as CN, Syngenta, Bayer Crop Science and Fertilizer Canada.
Additional information about CASW, including the media kit and resources, is available at agsafetyweek.ca. The media kit contains feature stories, safety advice articles, public service announcements, graphics and more.
