Farm Labour and Safety Issues

Overview

Regulatory Compliance Checklist for Employing Farm Workers

If you employ people on your farm operation whether it is seasonal or permanent there are some important regulatory issues that may affect your business.

There are three provincial Acts you need to be familiar with if you are employing workers on your farm, these are:

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Act,
The Occupational Health and Safety Act, and
The Employment Standards Act.

This checklist will provide you with a simple and practical understanding of the Acts so that your farming operation will be in compliance with the Acts. It is not intended to replace or supplement the Acts themselves but rather should be used as a resource that explains your responsibilities as a farm employer.

Click here to view the checklist.
View PDF Checklist

This document is still in draft, if you have any questions about the checklist or would like to provide comments, please contact Peter Sykanda at:

peter.sykanda@ofa.on.ca

Farm Safety Protects Lives

By Bette Jean Crews, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Executive Committee Member

Every year we hear news reports of farm families being injured or killed as a result of accidents on or near the farm. Farming has a reputation for being a very dangerous occupation, not just for the farmer, but also for family members.

Modern agriculture employs large and complicated machinery that is designed to perform a lot of work as efficiently as possible. The people operating this equipment have to understand every aspect of their job, or they could find themselves pinned beneath the equipment or caught somewhere.

Farm accidents are horrific enough to imagine without having to experience the pain and agony of losing a limb or a loved one. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture and County Federations support farm safety campaigns each year. Any measure that saves lives and reduces the likelihood of injury to farmers and their families is a worthwhile investment in the farming industry.

The latest information on farm safety is available in many ways. The Farm Safety Association of Ontario, located in Guelph, has an extensive library of resources and trained staff to bring everyone working on farms up to date on the topic.

Members of the association can access workplace safety program development services, on-site employee safety training programs, workplace safety and health inspections, technical safety and health consultation, and a variety of other services at no additional cost. Any employer who pays assessments to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board – WSIB – is automatically a member.

The association also provides everything from warning signs to posters, decals and literature on your choice of topic, some of it free, some of it at cost plus delivery. A complete listing of available materials can be found on the association’s website – www.fsai.on.ca– or by calling the Guelph office at 1-800-361-8855.

An enormous listing of farm safety fact sheets can also be obtained from the association on topics ranging from the safe use of pesticides and chemicals to working safely with big bales, farm vehicles on Ontario highways, and working safely with farm animals.

One of the more recent services available is the Agricultural Safety Audit Program. This is designed to prevent workplace injuries and their associated costs in the farm community. It is a voluntary self-assessment tool specially tailored to agricultural workplaces. The program is a joint offering of the farm safety association, the Ontario Agricultural Human Resource Council, and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.

The audit program allows even the smallest farming operation to assess safety risk areas and make corrections before injury or damage occurs. The Hazard Identification booklet portion of the program is designed to help all agricultural operations, regardless of size, commodity or employer status.

Because farm safety is such a critical issue for our industry, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada offers a number of programs and services to farmers as well. The Farm Safety and Rural Health Program, part of the Canadian Agriculture Safety Program, is a four-year, four million-dollar program that runs until the end of 2003.

The objective of this program is to lower the incidence of agriculture related deaths and injuries with the implementation of preventative programs targeted at reducing the risk of injury or fatality. Funding for specific projects is available and applicants must meet established criteria. Information can be obtained at the AAFC office in Ottawa or be telephone at 613-759-7514 and speaking with Barry Larocque.

OFA encourages Ontario farmers and their families to work safely, and asks motorists to respect the size and speed of farm equipment travelling public roadways.

Labour Issues Coordinating Committee (LICC)

LICC is a farm-driven coalition group representing the interests of Ontario employers in the agriculture and horticulture sector. It was formed in May 1991 in order to develop consensus among the farm employer community on employment and labour issues, and to represent their collective position to government. The focus of LICC is on policy, legislative, regulatory, and program developments related to labour relations, employment standards, workplace safety and insurance (workers' compensation), occupational health and safety, Ontario Works, and other related labour legislation.