THE WESTERN PRODUCER | WWW.PRODUCER.COM | SEPTEMBER 8, 2011
Plan safety on the farm
to stay well clear of lines, and always lower your equipment before moving it – these are some simple things farmers can do to stay safe.” Weber echoes Barton’s comments, and notes safety isn’t always an easy thing to talk about. “I know a lot of times safety’s kind of been looked at as not a real popular thing amongst people,” says Weber, adding that some people think it’s a waste of time and kids just laugh about it. But in a split second, people can be seriously injured or killed if they don’t respect the dangers of working around power lines. In Saskatchewan, safety is starting to improve because people are realizing its importance. But it’s still something that needs work, Weber says. “We have the second highest workplace injury rate in the country so it’s something that I think we really want to address.” Weber adds that injuries can take a financial toll too. Many small businesses go under when the owner is seriously injured. Farms are no exception.
Going the extra mile SaskPower believes part of farm safety includes awareness of one’s surroundings. Hazard identification prior to work is one of the most important steps in preventing an injury. Knowing where power lines are located is critical, but Weber explains there are other factors that can’t be predicted. Changes to a person’s routine could also prove deadly when working around power lines. “Maybe it’s a new employee that does something differently and you’re not aware of it and all of a sudden an incident or an injury occurs because of something you’re not aware of,” says Weber. Once the hazard has been identified, Weber and SaskPower say you have to ensure both your own safety and that of others is not at risk. “In my example, I know after talking with some of my co-workers once I came out of the hospital, we were worried about that power line,” remembers Weber. He said he and his coworkers identified the power line immediately and knew that working near it would be a hazard. “But we didn’t go the extra mile saying ‘okay,
“I could have prevented it from happening to myself.”
what are we gonna do about that hazard that we just identified from becoming an injury?’,” Weber adds. Stopping at identifying the hazard is where most people go wrong when it comes to their safety practices, says Weber. He adds while many people might plan for safety, they often don’t realize what can happen if the plan isn’t right for the working environment. SaskPower stresses that all power facilities and equipment are dangerous, and should be treated with respect, not just power lines.
Often, there are no safety meetings on the farm. It’s a rough and tough, deadline-oriented business. But, failing to incorporate safety into day-to-day activities can prove fatal. “I think that farming is an industry where typically it’s a family-run business and sometimes those situations can be dangerous,” says Weber. “There’s a lot of pressure on the family. That’s their livelihood.” “I’ve talked to a lot of farm kids in schools where they say, ‘You know, we don’t practice safety very well because we’re always in a rush to get the crops off’ and this and that.” Weber says stepping back to look at safety could mean the difference between a safe day on the farm or not. Parents and their children need to think about the consequences of their actions before they perform a task, evaluate the risks involved and decide whether it’s something they should be doing or find an alternate way of doing it. It should be in the forefront of any farm family’s mind all the time, not just when they hear about an injury or death. “Slow down and be even more aware of the dangers there because we all know there’s no shortage of hazards when you’re a kid growing up on the farm,” he says. “I think probably the biggest factor in farm incidents is like what happened to us that day. You’re rushing to get a job done. You’re in a hurry. You need to get a job done,” says Weber. Getting the message out about farm safety planning isn’t easy. SaskPower knows the message is best received when it comes from loved ones – like the farm kid who wants their dad to come home safely at night, or the mom and dad who pray their teenage son or daughter will leave the fields safely at the end of each long day. Weber’s greatest job satisfaction is when students talk to him after a presentation and tell him they are going to do something on the farm or at work differently. Sometimes students remember him from a previous school visit, and they tell him that they changed how they did something after hearing him speak. “You know you got through to some people and you can potentially save somebody’s life or save them from a serious injury,” says Weber.
Look up and live. Farming is dangerous business — especially when you’re moving large equipment or relocating grain bins. Carefully assess the risks and hazards before you start. Locate all overhead power lines and plan to stay well clear. Always lower equipment before you move it. It’s a busy time of year. Don’t let a serious injury slow you down — or worse. Talk to your family, and anyone else working on your farm, about staying safe around electricity.
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