Past Grants

Provincial Rally and Year-long Tractor Safety

Quebec 4-H will adopt Tractor Safety as a recurring theme for 2015. The project will progress throughout the year from the provision of safety information to an on-ground pre-operation check session to an on-tractor experience. Throughout the year, Quebec 4-H will dedicate a portion of its bi-monthly newsletter to tractor safety. Monthly posts will be made to the Quebec 4-H Facebook page with imagery and content to catch the attention of youth, providing safety information directly and/or links to appropriate websites. Tractor safety will be included in the annual Quebec 4-H Provincial Rally in the form of a clinic covering the procedures for an on-ground pre-operation check and as a part of the judging competition assessing life skills and identification. The year will culminate with two tractor safety workshops offered in different regions in the autumn of 2015.

Tractor Operator Courses

Two Tractor Operator Courses will be offered to Nova Scotia farmers and farm workers. A one-day course will be designed and offered for those participants that have tractor operator experience and interested in a refresher. A two-day course will be designed for beginner tractor operators will little to no experience. These courses will provide farmers and farm workers the knowledge necessary to operate tractors in a safe and competent manner.

Tractor Operator Courses

Approximately 80 Agriculture Diploma students and 10 farm workers at the University of Manitoba research farm will receive hands-on, practical training in machinery operation. Students returning to their farms will be able to share this knowledge and provide training to their family and workers on their farms. The 10 research farm workers will be training summer staff and other new farm workers. Training will also be provided for 20 agricultural producers who will provide feedback for future safety workshop development and delivery.

Operator Course

The Operator Course will address the need for training on blueberry harvesting machines. The Operator Course will be developed in collaboration with industry experts, producers and representation from both Farm Safety Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Community College. The Operator Course will have a significant emphasis on safety as there are many risks involved with the use of such large specialized equipment. The course will increase the number of safety and competent blueberry harvester operators in Nova Scotia.

Integrated Safety Standard Operating Procedures Workshops

A two day workshop series will be organized and delivered by NBYFF to train its members in the importance of tractor and machinery safety and the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to manage critical risk control points. The first workshop will consist of an overview of farm machinery operation safety and the importance of developing SOPs. Participants will be asked to complete a series of SOPs specific to their farm operation. Participants will reconvene for the second workshop to share the results of their on-farm efforts to develop a tractor and machinery safety plan.

Tractor Operator Courses

The 4-H program will partner with the Manitoba Rocky Mountain Equipment (RME) dealerships and with SAFE Work Manitoba to develop and deliver a series of workshops at different RME locations in the province on equipment safety training through 2015 and 2016. The training will be geared toward members and leaders who are of an appropriate age and in a position to operate large and small equipment on a regular basis.

Milk House Safety

This program will provide prevention education to Island farmers and their employees on the need for safe work practices and procedures in milk houses, particularly in regards to chemical safety. Two PEIFA staff members will be trained to deliver Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHIMIS) training farmers and employees. As well, a PEIFA staff person will be made available to provide on-farm visits to milk house safety rooms in order to review safety needs including material safety data sheets (MSDS), first aid kits, eye wash stations, PPE, emergency contact information and chemical separation. Finally, PEIFA will produce a short video reviewing safe maintenance procedures in milk houses, which will be shared with the dairy industry across PEI and Canada.

Manual Tree Felling Safety on Agricultural Land

L’Union des producteurs agricoles will develop and run a series of prevention workshops aimed at educating agricultural producers and workers about the risks, hazards, and safe work procedures associated with manual tree felling on agricultural land. The training content will be developed by the UPA in collaboration with la Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CSST) and the Quebec Ministry of Health.

On-Farm Safety Program

The Battle River Research Group will hold three educational workshops/demonstrations on farm safety focusing on prevention information to farmers and their families in east-central Alberta.

Bear Safety Training for Southwestern Alberta Ranch Families

The Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association will conduct a pilot project focused on providing training and resources to farmers, their families, and farm workers in southwestern Alberta focused on safety concerns associated with farmer-bear conflicts. The pilot will focus on reducing these conflicts by identifying key areas of concern, reviewing risk minimization activities, and how to respond to a bear encounter.

Young Farmers, Safe Farmers

MFWD will deliver four farm safety training workshops geared towards Manitoba farmers, their families, and farm workers including safe ATV use for children and parents, farm tractor safety and hazard identification for young adults, farm safety risk management and liabilities for adults, and age-appropriate tasks and safe play area awareness for farm parents. The intent will be to educate Manitoba farm families about safe farming practices and to provide them with the knowledge and resources to take action on safety in their own farm yards and lands.

Farm Safety Planning Equals Managing Farm Risk

An Agriwebinar® series of 5 bilingual webinars will be delivered focusing on farm safety. Topics include: National Farm Safety Strategy & Farm Safety in General (i.e. farm safety within business risk management); Canada FarmSafe Plan (Introductory) ; Ag Safety Equals Business Risk.

Canada Farm Safety Train-the-trainer

The Saskatoon-based Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture will use this funding to promote the use of CASA’s FarmSafe Plan. The Plan will be adapted to suit local needs appropriately and effectively.

Turkey Industry Safe Work Practices Development

The FCC AgSafety Fund grant will be used to develop a Turkey Safe Work Practices Document to provide an industry specific methodology intended to significantly increase the likelihood of industry stakeholders meeting their respective occupational health and safety obligations at Ontario turkey farms.

The Document will essentially establish a baseline for safety in the workplace on turkey farms. Workplaces that adopt these practices will eliminate or, at the very least, reduce injuries and potential safety hazards to employees.

Safety Smarts

The Safety Smarts program targets elementary students in over 500 rural and remote Alberta schools, bringing age appropriate farm safety messaging into their individual classrooms. Increased awareness of farm safety risks allows these children to make informed safety decisions to preserve the safety and health of their families and themselves.

Training: The Safe Operation of Tractors and Motorized Handling Equipment

In collaboration with CSST and the Ministry of Health, UPA will develop new simple and practical farm safety instruction tools, including a tractor operating guide as well as an illustrated information document on rollovers. Approximately 780 people to deliver the programs will be trained throughout the year.

Canada FarmSafe Training

This project will train approximately 15 educators in the use of CASA’s Canada FarmSafe Plan, a farm safety business risk management tool. In 2013, a short course on the Canada FarmSafe plan will be offered to farmers, and a course on farm safety to agriculture students. The faculty will also implement training for all farm workers who are connected with the University of Manitoba’s research farm, and incorporate safety content in individual courses.

Valley Circle Farm Safety Education for Youth

This program aims to increase the number of trainers within the community who can train others – specifically students – in safe agricultural practices. Children from kindergarten to grade 12 will be trained on various farm safety topics including first aid, equipment awareness and use, as well as animal safety.

Agriculture Women Supervisor’s Health and Safety Training

This project will focus on improving the health and safety knowledge of farm workers in the Surrey area, who are primarily older, Indo-Canadian women who face significant language barriers and literacy challenges. Training will be provided in English, Punjabi and Hindi. The project aims to educate health and safety committee members who work in Surrey greenhouses, hot houses and nurseries in a variety of areas, including safe transportation, what constitutes a healthy facility, workplace stress, the proper use of protective equipment, bullying and addressing harassment in the workplace. Training these committee members (who are supervisors) in health and safety will enable them to better work with their peers, and uphold the best practices in their everyday work.

Young Farm Worker Safety Workshop

This project will train young farm workers in farm safety areas such as farm hazard assessment, rural road safety, farm chemical safety, tractor rollover protection, large animal handling, equine safety, fire extinguisher training, ATV and small tool safety. Workshops include a combination of classroom and hands-on training.

Farm Safety Walkabout Workshops

This project will offer 12 farm safety workshops to producers across Saskatchewan with a focus on assisting them in the development of farm safety plans. Instruction will be based on a farm safety plan, which will be given to participants at the end of each workshop.

Farm Safety Workshops

Information Workshops on farm inspections that help identify and evaluate risks and indicate appropriate control measures.

ATV Safety Strategy

Train farm and rural families on the safe use of All-Terrain-Vehicles (ATVs). An increased number of farm and rural families are using ATVs within their farm operations on a daily basis with limited training and knowledge of operating them safely. In addition to this training, the program will offer “Train-the-trainer” workshops within the province to build capacity. This strategy will allow us to extend the reach, with an increased number of certified trainers within the province following this training.

Safe Livestock Handling

This training program will focus on food safety, safe livestock handling, animal safety, and proper vaccination procedures.

Snake, bear and tick safety

To develop safety and management best practice guidelines pertaining to three species of concern to outdoor agricultural workers. These guidelines will be distributed/communicated through the following channels: 1) industry meetings, 2) special training sessions for field advisors and safety committees, 3)industry newsletters, magazines, and websites.

Safety Programs for Ornamental Growers

This program will address the need for safety prevention programs for growers in horticulture. It will develop and deliver a training program customized to the specific needs of this sector and will create awareness of the Ontario Health and Safety Association’s safety requirements. An adult learning curriculum will be developed and training materials and workbooks for the program will be provided.