Most Canadian farmers say safety is a top business priority, but only one in six has a safety plan.

Marcel Hacault, executive director of the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA), says, “When a recent Farm Credit Canada survey of farmers turned up that fact, we knew we had to build a tool to improve the safety record on Canada’s farms. We developed Canada FarmSafe - a process to help farmers manage safety and health on their operations, no matter the size, location or farm type.”

CASA’s agricultural health and safety specialist Glen Blahey led the development of Canada FarmSafe. “It’s practical, sensible and it works,” Blahey says. “We’re making a short form available on CASA’s website www.planfarmsafety.ca. We’ll provide all the documents and answer questions on request.”

Blahey explains, “Canada FarmSafe goes way beyond hazard assessment check lists. It’s a safety commitment with tools to make safety part of every plan and action on the farm.”

Download the Canada FarmSafe Plan brochure for a quick look at how to make the Plan work for you.

Download the core Canada FarmSafe Plan at no charge.

You'll find instructions for:

• composing a general policy statement for safety and health for your farm

• identifying hazards

• controlling hazards, including documenting standard operating procedures for all work on the farm, outlining emergency actions, conducting training and investigating incidents

• communicating responsibilities

• reviewing the plan

CASA members can access the complete Plan for their private use at no cost. The complete Plan contains the core Plan plus supporting documents such as templates, sample scenarios and planning tools. Call 1-877-452-2272 or email info@casa-acsa.ca for more information about the complete Canada FarmSafe Plan.

Hacault adds “Our goal is to work with partners across the country who will adapt it for their farmers,” he says. “We want this plan to be used, not sit on a shelf gathering dust!” For a fee, CASA will work with businesses and safety educators to customize the Canada FarmSafe Plan for their clients. Call 1-877-452-2272 or email info@casa-acsa.ca for more information.

Download Canada FarmSafe Emergency Plan template: