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Changes coming to mushroom farms Some recommendations will be hard to implement, says Labour Minister MONIQUE TAMMINGA
many farms out there for them to go to. MacDiarmid said the other issue is many farms have transient workers, like berry pickers, who only stay for B.C.’s Labour Minister Margaret short stays. MacDiarmid said most of the 15 WorkSafe confirmed that it already recommendations made by a met with the FARSHA (Farm and coroner’s jury into the deaths of three Ranch Safety and Health Association) mushroom farm workers will be to implement the jury’s first implemented — but there are two recommendations. challenges. Those are to require “All of the active aeration of all brown recommendations make water tanks in mushroom sense,” said MacDiarmid on composting farms and Tuesday.“I think we heard the require that a registered jury’s recommendations on a engineer supervise and Wednesday, and that night the approve the design and CEO of WorkSafe BC started construction of all new working on them.” mushroom composting The jury made numerous facilities, including the brown recommendations aimed at Margaret water system, before they are WorkSafe BC after a series MacDiarmid allowed to operate. of safety mistakes led to the As for the death of three farm workers of Vietnamese background and serious, recommendation that all ambulances be equipped with an oxygen sensor, permanent injuries to two others on MacDiarmid said that is up to BC A-1 Farms in south Langley in 2008. Ambulance. The three workers died and two In 2006, the same recommendation others have severe brain injuries as a was made after two paramedics result of toxic gases being released in died going into a confined space to a confined brown water shed, where a save mine employees in Kimberly. worker unclogged a pipe stuffed with Ambulances are still not equipped. straw and chicken manure. MacDiarmid said WorkSafe BC has The owners were fined $300,000 had a “tremendous focus” on workers’ but have since declared bankruptcy. safety in the past few years. The fines have not been paid.The Workers being killed on the job are mushroom farm is now up for sale. down almost 40 per cent in B.C., she MacDiarmid said despite a said. recommendation by the jury to “Still, no one should die at work. increase the number of inspections, There is still more work to be done,” her government had already been she said. doing that. According to WorkSafe BC, in 2008, “Immediately after this terrible there were four deaths at farms in B.C. tragedy we increased the number of and 625 injury claims. In 2011, there prevention officers who went around to all the mushroom composting farms were four fatalities and 486 injuries. In 2010, there were no farm fatalities. in B.C. and spoke to workers about MacDiarmid said she has never met confined spaces,” she said. the families who lost loved ones on Some of the recommendations will this farm but watched them speak out prove to be difficult, such as making on the TV. it mandatory for all farm workers to “I think the key message I get from take two days of occupational safety the families is they don’t want this to training and be given a certificate, happen to more families.We can and similar to the Food Safe program. will learn from this tragedy,” she said. WorkSafe BC said there are too Times Reporter
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Fin, the Vancouver Canucks’ mascot, takes a bite out of Jacob Sol of Kids Can Help, the young people’s charity, which was founded by 10-year-old Sean Thomas, that supports B.C. Children’s Hospital. In the background is Manny Malhotra, the Canucks centre, who thrilled the kids with a surprise appearance at their year-end celebration on Tuesday at the Blair Recreation Centre.
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