With winter comes snow and with snow comes snow clearing. No matter how (front-end loader, blade, snow blower or even a snow shovel or scoop) or where you clear snow (walkways, driveways, lanes, barnyards, shops, around bins and fuelling areas) there are some basic safety tips to keep in mind to keep everyone safe. Generally, […] Read more
Clearing snow safely and effectively this winter
Five things to consider on grain bin safety
Entering a grain bin can be risky. Hazards include grain (risk of entrapment), moving parts (like a bin sweep), and poor air quality. Below are the What, Why, Who, When and Where of grain bins and some tips to keep everyone safe. What is a characteristic of a grain bin that could be considered hazardous? […] Read more
Three things essential to farm safety
In safety terms, competency is a combination of training, knowledge, and experience. In industries like construction, developing competency is fairly straightforward — an employer provides structured training, makes sure their employees pass tests and keep records of experience using resumés. On the farm, competency is just as important. A person is competent if they possess […] Read more
Fatigue management during busy times on the farm
Harvest time is one of the busiest times of year. Producers put in long hours and have many tasks on the go at once. Even if everything goes smoothly and there aren’t the dreaded breakdowns or weather delays, there’s still a lot of work to do. With all of this pressure and long hours comes […] Read more
Safely hitching and unhitching farm equipment
One of the most common tasks on the farm is hitching and unhitching equipment. However, hitching causes countless injuries on Canadian farms every year. Injuries can include everything from pinch and crush injuries to blunt trauma to runovers and even rollovers in the case of improper hitching. In terms of lost time and risk of […] Read more
Make hay while the sun shines. But do it safely
Summer is a busy time. Kids are home from school, ongoing farmyard and machinery maintenance is underway, and of course one of the season’s most labour-intensive tasks looms — haying. Beating the weather and getting hay down, dried, baled and hauled is a major undertaking and not without its particular set of hazards. Crush injuries, runovers, rollovers, pinch points, transportation hazards, fall hazards, stress and anxiety — you […] Read more
Canadian Agricultural Safety Week celebrates Safe & Strong Farms
2019’s Canadian Agricultural Safety Week 2019 runs from March 10 to 16. This March, the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) is encouraging all Canadians to celebrate Safe & Strong Farms. Canadian Agricultural Safety Week (CASW) is an annual public campaign focusing on the importance of safe agriculture. Safe & Strong Farms: Build an AgSafe Canada […] Read more
Build a bridge for mental health this upcoming Canadian Agricultural Safety Week
Canadian Agricultural Safety Week runs March 10 – 16
How often have you heard the term “get over it?” I know I’ve used it occasionally, and I suspect that, in a few of those instances, I’ve used the term inappropriately. There are certainly times I need to be reminded to get over it. Like when I lose patience with the flow of traffic, or […] Read more
Dealing with conflict and relationships on the farm
Seven strategies to address conflict
From infancy to old age, we form relationships. As we grow older and evolve from one relationship to another our values, beliefs, perceptions, goals, and ideas may evolve and change as well. As these changes occur, interpersonal conflict will happen. Conflict is part of life. In all relationships, we experience conflict. Conflict is not always […] Read more
Breathing easy: preventing farmer’s lung
It’s been quite the fall. Snow, rain, and sleet have wreaked havoc on harvest throughout the region. Although great for soil recharge, all this moisture is not so great for crops still waiting to be harvested. The result is that some farmers have had to put away crops wet and when this happens, so does […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
