Communiqué is a resource that provides weekly updates on what’s happening in the world of farm safety. If you think you’ve received this email in error, please respond with an email asking to be removed from our mailing list.
Communiqué est une ressource qui offre des mises à jours hebdomadaires sur ce qui se passe dans le monde de la sécurité agricole. Si vous croyez que vous avec reçu ce courriel par erreur, veuillez répondre avec un courriel demandant que nous rayons votre nom de notre liste d’envoi.
|
|
| March 25, 2019/ le 25 mars 2019 |
|
|
CASA NEWS/NOUVELLES DE L'ACSA
New CASA Report Details Farmer Insurance Needs and Availability in Canada – CASA (MB), March 13, 2019: The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) today released its report, “Safety & Health Insurance Available and Farmer Insurance Needs”. This first-of-its-kind report examines health and disability available to Canadian farmers.
Un nouveau rapport de l'ACSA décrit les besoins et la disponibilité d'assurance pour les agriculteurs au Canada – ACSA (MB), le 13 mars 2019: L’Association canadienne de sécurité agricole (ACSA) a publié aujourd’hui son rapport, « Disponibilité d’une assurance-maladie et de sécurité, et besoins en assurance destinée aux agriculteurs. » Ce rapport, le premier de son genre, examine l’assurance maladie et sécurité disponible aux agriculteurs canadiens.
|
|
CANADIAN NEWS/NOUVELLES CANADIENNES:
Finding Support After a Farm Incident – (p 24-30) betterfarming.com (ON), March 2019: Producers with life-changing injuries and their families face challenges, but support services can help farmers get back in the field or barns doing what they love.
Bill 6 Has Earned Cautious Support – medicinehatnews.com (AB), March 25, 2019: Farm leaders in Alberta are asking all political parties to either retain, or improve and enhance the current farm safety regulations in Alberta. “With Bill 6 the UCP has said they are going to cancel that,” says Lynn Jacobson, president of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture. “We had a lot of input into the final result of Bill 6, and farmers have settled down since. It wasn’t what it was sort of portrayed like to begin with – like it was going to stop your children from working on the farm, and you weren’t going to be able to do this and this. And it was going to cost you thousands and thousands of dollars for insurance. All those things have really settled down.” (Related article: Bill 6 Already a Key Campaign Issue).
Avoid Farm Work-Related Fatigue This Spring – peacecountrysun.com (AB), March 24, 2019: The nature of much of today’s precision farm work requires a high degree of alertness and the ability to react quickly in certain circumstances. With spring work and the go-time it brings, often farmers push themselves to get the maximum out of a day’s work. Farm workers pushing their capabilities to the limits to increase production run the risk of serious injury due to fatigue. Turns out, fatigue is a major factor in causing farm-related injuries.
Animal Behavior and Livestock Handling Safety – (Editorial) peacecountrysun.com (AB), March 24, 2019: Many Alberta farms are particularly busy working with livestock at this time of year. Through the stress of calving, lambing, sorting, processing, and relocating – often during inclement weather – farmers and ranchers need to consider their safety and that of others while tending to their animals.
Prevent Tractor Runovers and Rollovers – (Editorial) peacecountrysun.com (AB), March 24, 2019: According to the Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting, the leading causes of farm fatalities across Canada are tractor runovers and rollovers. Although today’s tractors have many more safety features than machines of the past, they can still be extremely dangerous.
Grandir dans une ferme - un terrain propice aux blessures – (Éditoriale) plus.lapresse.ca (PQ), le 23 mars 2019: Les enfants qui vivent à la ferme sont surreprésentés dans les accidents graves. Entre 2002 et 2015 au Québec, 17 d’entre eux sont morts, tandis que 284 ont été hospitalisés pour des traumatismes sévères, révèle une enquête menée par un pédiatre aux soins intensifs en Estrie qui a traité un grand nombre de ces petits patients. Malgré les efforts de prévention, l’enjeu est complexe à éradiquer, car l’implication des enfants est au cœur de la vie agricole.
No Charges Will be Laid in Elmira's Fatal Tractor Crash That Killed Bettina Schuurmans – thespec.com (SK), March 22, 2019: No charges will be laid in a crash that claimed the life of an Elmira woman on a cross-country tractor tour last summer, the RCMP in Saskatchewan say. Bettina Schuurmans, 55, was travelling in an open-cab John Deere tractor with her husband as part of a promotional tour for dairy farmers on July 10 when they were hit from behind by a semi-trailer. Henk Schuurmans, who was left in critical condition by the crash, said his family wasn't hoping for criminal charges — but wanted some kind of acknowledgment the driver made a mistake and had taken a life.
Trying to Find Help on the Farm Can be a Challenge – swiftcurrentonline.com (SK), March 19, 2019: One of the challenges in the Agriculture sector can be trying to find help on the farm or ranch. Kara Dyer is an Immigration Consultant with Beyond Borders Immigration Consulting at Gull Lake. She says stats show the employment gaps on the farm are getting worse as we see the growth in farm and ranch operations. “In 2014, Saskatchewan employed just over 43,000 people in the Agriculture sector total. With that there were over 4500 job vacancies just in the Agriculture sector; which means that was a loss of over $200 million dollars to employers just in this sector alone. “ She notes more and more producers are looking at the option of hiring temporary foreign workers adding that the federal government has worked at improving processing times for applications.
Lack of Farm Safety Caused Serious Injuries – estevanmercury.ca (SK), March 15, 2019: How dangerous can farming be? Lack of communication, tiredness, adjustment to daily risks and absence of the proper safety precautions may cost someone not just well-being, but their life. Fortunately, Dwayne Stanton, who chose to use a pseudonym for the interview, made it out of his farm accident alive. However, the injuries he suffered were serious and painful, and a month later he is still dealing with the aftermath and is not able to get back to work.
Stay Safe While You're Working Alone – grainews.ca (The Prairies), March 15, 2019: One of the most relaxing parts of a work day can be some alone time — doing work you love in peace and quiet. It can also be one of the most deadly parts of the work day. If you become ill or injured while working alone, what’s your plan?
Grain Entrapment Danger Hits Home in Clearwater County – (CASA article) albertafarmerexpress.ca (AB), March 15, 2019: It’s often said that to encourage change, you need to lead by example. And for the fire department in Clearwater County, it’s a premise that’s not only valued but also practised. “Whenever we get an opportunity to educate and engage with the public as a fire department, we always take it because it is our one opportunity where we get to be proactive,” said Evan Stewart, assistant fire chief for the Clearwater Regional Fire Rescue Services, which serves 22,000 square kilometres in west-central Alberta.
Auger, Sweep, Vac and Extractor Safety – (Editorial) grainews.ca (The Prairies), March 15, 2019: Augers, sweeps, vacs and extractors are all built to move grain from one area to another — generally either into or out of storage such as a grain bin or grain bag. Augers have long been a serious entanglement hazard, and while the newer augers have improved safety features the single most important safety feature of any equipment is the operator.
Working Safely in Cold Weather – (Editorial) grainews.ca (The Prairies), March 13, 2019: This past winter was a season of extreme cold weather across much of Canada. Between the cold weather and the work that is often required outside, regardless of conditions, many producers find themselves working in the cold, sometimes extremely dangerous cold. Extreme cold warnings are heard and seen on the news and weather alerts seem to have them popping up more often than not. But really what can you do to protect yourself when you absolutely must be outside?
Deaths/Décès
An Update On the Tragic Farm Accident in This B.C. City – kamloopsmatters.com (BC), March 18, 2019: The BC Coroner’s Service is continuing to investigate an accident on a South Delta farm last week that killed a young girl. Few details are known about the tragedy, but through the Delta fire department, Glacier Media has learned that it appears a three-year-old child was involved in a farming accident. “It appears an older tractor tire fell on the child. I understand that it had been leaning up against a barn,” said deputy fire Chief Brad Watson. “I’m not sure what happened or how it happened – I can’t comment on that. When our crews arrived it looked like the family had gotten the tire off of the young one and moved her to the porch and were attempting to resuscitate her when we took over. We spent three to five minutes working on her before the first ambulance arrived. We had another truck on scene to assist in the landing of the air ambulance, but she was pronounced deceased on scene.”
|
|
INTERNATIONAL NEWS/NOUVELLES INTERNATIONALES
Mind Your Health: Jonathan's Story - Pressures Facing Young Farmers – thescottishfarmer.co.uk (Scotland), March 19, 2019: As Scotland moves in to a period of political turbulence in the coming months, there has never been a more crucial time to ensure that mental health support remains a firm priority in planning for the future health of Scottish agriculture. The next generation are key to the success of the sector, but in order to develop and encourage tomorrow’s farming youth, we need to ensure that the importance of mental wellbeing is recognised more widely within the farming community.
Staying Safe on the Farm – fredericknewspost.com (US), March 17, 2019: The National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, a report released by Bureau of Labor Statistics, reports that in 2017 across the United States, 258 fatalities occurred on farms. Of those, 103 involved a farm tractor. Before the rush of spring activities starts on the farm, take the time to read the farm safety tips below and review them with your family and employees. A little bit of time now could prevent an injury or save a life later.
Avoid the Risk of Being Run Over By One of the Farm's Most Powerful Tools – sabethaherald.com (US), March 18, 2019: Power and size are two features that make farm tractors so valuable – and dangerous. Modern technology is helping make tractors safer in many ways, but some 60 people still die each year after being run over by a tractor. Aaron Yoder, associate professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s (UNMC) College of Public Health, Department of Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health, says runover accidents rarely happen in a field. Most often, people are run over by a tractor in their own farm yard.
Bilingual App Protects Farmworkers from Pesticide Exposure – dailyuw.com (US), March 14, 2019: Pesticide exposure is a serious health hazard, with consequences ranging from severe irritation to nervous system damage and long-term health problems. To protect the farmworkers that deal with these dangerous substances, pesticide manufacturers provide safety guidelines with instructions for proper handling. However, this solution doesn’t address the risks these harmful chemicals pose to Spanish-speakers, a population that makes up the majority of our nation’s agricultural workers. Non-English speakers won’t find any help in pesticide instruction labels; the only Spanish phrase in the pesticide safety booklet simply states, “If you do not understand this label, find someone who can explain it to you in detail.”
Deaths/Décès
Michigan Farmer Spreading Manure Dies in Auger Accident – freep.com (US), March 21, 2019: A 63-year-old Waterloo Township man died Wednesday after getting tangled in an auger while spreading manure — the second fatal farming accident in the last two weeks, according to authorities and WILX. The incident happened at about 12:40 p.m., when Jackson County Sheriff's deputies were called to the 14000 block of Territorial Road about a farming accident. First responders determined that the man's injuries were far too severe for treatment, according to a Facebook post by the sheriff's office.
Tractor Rollover Kills Man, Injures Another – wwnytv.com (US), March 20, 2019: A man was killed and another injured when a tractor rolled over near Depauville Wednesday morning. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said two people were in the tractor's cab, the operator lost control, and the machinery rolled onto the drivers side. Officials said 21 year old Steven Scott II of the town of Clayton died and 21 year old Nathan Kilborn of Clayton is believed to have been seriously injured.
|
|
BLOGS AND LINKS/BLOGS ET LIENS:
Canadian/Canadien
A Good Night Sleep: Sleep and Agriculture – YouTube video, March 2019: Understand normal sleep and sleep needs Understand the impact of sleep disruption Impact in the agricultural setting Strategies to mitigate negative impact.
Is Your Farm Ready for Activists? – realagriculture.com (ON), March 15, 2019: It’s an unfortunate reality for many farmers — the very frightening possibility of activists targeting them on their private property, where their homes are, where they care for their livestock and raise their children. Last weekend, Ontario dairy farmers were left shaken when activists trespassed on private property, entered barns without permission, and reportedly, even stole a dead calf. The events have left several outspoken farmers angry, but also feeling extremely violated. It’s one thing for activists to protest in a public space, but it’s quite another to have highly-motivated and agitated strangers enter your place of work and home yard. Imagine if these same people did this in the city? How quickly would police respond? How seriously would they be dealt with?
International/Internationale
Farmer Suicides as High as in the Great Depression? No Data Says So – polifact.com (US), March 21, 2019: In a campaign swing through Iowa, Cory Booker said the people he met there "are right to be angry" over what they see going on in their state. "Attacks on public education, attacks on labor," said Booker, U.S. senator from New Jersey and Democratic presidential candidate, in a March 18 interview with MSNBC. "Attacks on farmers. Farmer suicide rates are as high as they have been since the Great Depression." Booker’s specific claim about farmer suicides is not accurate, our review found. There are no known numbers for farmer suicides going back to the 1930s, and Booker's staff did not provide any.
|
|
EVENTS/ÉVÉNEMENTS:
Cultivating Resiliency for Women in Agriculture – Interactive Online Sessions to Help to Weather Stress. Series 1: March 2019 to April 2019. Series one will consist of six interactive sessions that will be 90 minutes in length and include a topic for discussion and then an interactive Q & A period. All webinars are held at 12 noon Central Time.
Induction Ceremony – May 2, 2019. 2200 Mansfield Street, Montreal, QC. Six Canadian medical heroes are inducted annually to the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. Their work may be a single meritorious contribution or a lifetime of superior accomplishments. Pioneers in their field, they are role models of excellence in health in Canada and the world. Editor's note: Inducted into the Hall of fame is Dr. James A. Dosman, considered “the father of agricultural medicine in Canada” is the founding director of the Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada’s only diversified centre for research, teaching, prevention and service related to agriculture and rural life.
ISASH Conference – June 24-27, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. The International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health (ISASH) invites abstract submissions for the 2019 Annual Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.A. The theme for 2019 is “River to River: Yielding Agricultural Health and Safety”.
Child Agricultural Injury Prevention Workshop – Multiple dates and locations: Join us and learn how you can help safeguard children and youth who live, work and play on farms and ranches. This information can be used to develop and enhance childhood agricultural safety strategies for your organization. Interactive sessions will be facilitated by safety experts and leaders in the field of childhood agricultural injury prevention. Hosted by: National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety.
2019 CASA Conference Set for Québec City on October 8 to 10, 2019 – Mark the dates for CASA’s 24th annual conference and AGM at the Hôtel Château Laurier Québec in Québec City QC. The 2019 theme is Safe and Strong Farms: Build an AgSafe Canada.
La Conférence de l'ACSA de 2019 aura lieu à Québec le 8 au 10 octobre 2019 – Notez les dates pour la 24e Conférence et AGA de l’ACSA à l’Hôtel Château Laurier Québec à Québec QC. Le thème de 2019 est Des Fermes fières et sécuritaires : Bâtir un Canada AgriSécurité.
|
|
|
|
