HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen-Agriculture 2000, 2000-03-15, Page 32PAGE A-8. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2000.
Safety audit helps avoid farm injuries
Farmers deal with heavy equip
ment, hazardous materials and dan
gerous conditions on a daily basis
and yet for many, there are few if any
safety practices in place to protect
them against injury.
Co-operation between the
Workplace Safety and Insurance
Board (WSIB) and Ontario
Agricultural Human Resource
Committee (OAHRC) resulted in the
launch of the Agricultural Safety
Audit Program (ASAP) last
November.
Described as a voluntary, practical,
self-management tool which is sec
tor-specific, Ken Forth of WSIB said
the program helps farmers prevent
injuries and control costs. “It’s use
ful, it fits the farm and it doesn’t cost
a small fortune.”
The hazard identification check
list covers 17 areas for considera
tion. These include tractors, self-pro
pelled equipment, transport vehicles,
PTO-driven equipment, general farm
machinery, lawnmowers, line trim
mers and chainsaws, fire prevention
and emergency response, farm build
ings, yards, fields, drives and lanes,
Workplace Hazardous Material
Information System (WHMIS), elec
trical safety, confined spaces, pesti
cide storage and handling, animal
handling facilities, ladder safety and
materials handling and hatcheries.
The first step of the self-assess
ment is to inspect and identify haz
ards. A detailed list of questions
takes the surveyor through the
process.
Next, operators are asked to assess
the risk by putting a value on it. Is
the risk high, moderate or low that an
injury could result because of not
ensuring safety? How high is that
item on a priority list for change?
The final task is to correct the prob
lem and set a date for completion.
ASAP replaces WSIB’s workwell
audit.
WSIB first began to look at farm
safety in the early 1990s, using an
audit system designed for large
industrial operations. When com
plaints surfaced, WSIB initiated
talks with OAHRC to develop an
industry-specific audit for agricul-
Farm
safety
tips
-Rural emergency response is
two to five limes that of urban
areas
-Controlled access and informa
tion sharing are crucial to the safe
handling of hazardous materials
-46 per cent of people killed on
Canadian farms are under 15 or
over 60
-Electrocution caused 3 per cent
of Canadian farm deaths between
1991-1995.
-Ensure fuel tanks are protected
from vehicle impact
-62 per cent of non-fatal agricul
tural injuries in Ontario were
caused by machinery, 70 per cent
were tractor related
-In Ontario, farm work injuries
are highest from July-October
-A 36” sleeve can wrap around a
PTO drive in just one second
-Rollovers cause 1/3 of all
injuries to operators, bystanders
and riders
ture.
Resources came from several
agencies to support the program,
including OMAFRA, Farm Safety
Association, Human Resources
Development Canada and Canadian
Coalition for Agricultural Safety.
ASAP is for small family farmers
as well as those who hire employees.
Farmers should make adjustments to
protect family members from
injuries as well.
WSIB will be using this program
to audit operations with accident and
injury problems. Those businesses
which are in the bottom five per cent
with high WSIB claim frequency can
expect to be considered for a manda
tory audit.
Other indicators which could
result in a visit from WSIB include
complaints, deaths or an increase in
claims. A random sampling is also
being considered.
For operations with less than 20
employees, farmers will be asked to
complete an ASAP Hazard
Identification booklet which identi
fies hazards and looks at actions to
be undertaken.
The farmer will have to prioritize
the hazardous, look for solutions and
set a time frame for improvements.
Along with hazard identification, a
large employer audit is used for busi
nesses with more than 20 employees.
The emphasis in this case is on com
munication and record keeping.
Once WSIB has issued a notice of
need for an audit to a business owner
with a high frequency of claims, lack
of response could result in signifi
cantly higher assessment costs.
All farmers who hired full-time,
part-time, contracts or casual labour
must be registered with WSIB. This
includes employed family members.
WSIB ensures treatment and com
pensation for injured workers.
If the operator is the sole propri
etor, partner or executive officer,
WSIB coverage is not automatic.
However, an application can be
filed.
For those with good health and
safety records, insurance premiums
can be reduced. WSIB also has the
mandate to levy fines in particular
circumstances. Infractions include
failing to register the business, fail
ing to report an accident, mis-report
ing information, failure to submit
payroll reconciliation statements by
March 31, underestimating earn
ings, knowingly making misleading
statements and willfully failing to
inform WSIB of material changes in
circumstances.
Information on obtaining the free
audit program, call 1-800-361- 8855.
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